Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

[sn26567]

Latest update of the situation of airlines and countries across the Eurocontrol Network:

By airline:



By country:

[TLspotting]

There's a mistake, CRL closes until at least 3 May, as we reported...

[Homo Aeroportus]

Repatriation flight from BKO to CDG, possibly with also Belgians on board, will be operated by a TradeAir A320.
9A-BTH left Zagreb early this morning and is now in Bamako.

An Air France 772 is currently on her way to BKO as well.

H.A.

[Homo Aeroportus]

Last update just got from ACI-Africa :

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Please find below a summary of our daily update of 02 April 2020 with respect to the status of COVID-19 in Africa.

• 4 COVID-19-free ACI Africa member countries: Comoros, Lesotho, São Tomé e Principe and St Helena
• 52 ACI Africa member countries affected (93%)
• Total number of COVID-19 cases reached 7,456 on 02 April, an increase of 10.2% on the previous day, representing 0.73% of the total number of cases worldwide.
• 45 African countries have closed their air borders, except for cargo and humanitarian flights.
• 14 countries account for more than 84% of the total number of cases.

Status as at 02 April 2020 - https://www.aci-africa.aero/files/Statu ... -04-20.pdf

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This pdf gives detailed information for each country.

With all due respect to those affected, the numbers of cases and fatalities still seem eerily low.


H.A.

[sn26567]

Daily review (in addition to what is available on the homepage or earlier on this thread)

Aeromar reduced by 50% the capacity onboard their aircraft, so that passengers can maintain a safe distance apart.

Airbus is studying a sharp cut in output of its A320neo family in light of industrial and delivery challenges posed by the coronavirus crisis. Suppliers have been asked to slow their stream of parts by 40% to a rate compatible with production of 36 jets a month in the near term.

Airports Council International expects the aviation industry recovery may take a year to 18 months to reach pre-crisis traffic levels and the industry may not record pre-pandemic traffic volumes again before the end of 2021.

Allegiant Air, Frontier Airlines and Sun Country have raised objections to a US DOT requirement that airlines maintain minimal services if they accept government aid.

American Airlines Group will suspend more than 60% of international capacity for the peak summer travel season YoY, and suspend 25 total summer seasonal flights until summer 2021.

Lessor Avolon has received requests from more than 80% of its current owned and managed customer base for relief from payment obligations under their leases. The average rent deferral is for three months.

Cathay Pacific will make further cuts to passenger capacity because of low demand, leaving it with just two flights a week each to four long-haul destinations in April 2020.

Fiji Link has suspended all flights between Nadi and Suva, due to the lockdown of the Capital announced by the Fijian Government. The ATR fleet is also available for regional charter for freight or evacuation services.

IATA is urging Asia-Pacific states to take urgent action to provide financial support to their airline industry impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Major Asia-Pacific states could see passenger demand in 2020 reduced by between 34-44%.

JPMorgan says book values of aircraft could decline as much as 40% due to the crisis, making valuing lessors both more complicated and complex.

Pobeda has no plans to go into debt due to the coronavirus. Flights have been suspended for two months.

Swissport has lost 70 to 80% of its global business suite to the paralysis of air transport because of the pandemic. The airport services provider intends to leave or temporarily laid off 60% of its workforce by the end of April 2020.

Thai Airways International employees will cease work and take a pay cut from 10%-40% as the carrier deals with the pandemic effects.

United Airlines says its revenue is down by over US$100 million a day as planes fly with around just 15% of seats filled this week. Should aircraft be retired as a result, the B757s and B767s would be the first to go, as well as some A320s.

Virgin Australia is contemplating closing the Melbourne base of subsidiary Tigerair and is discussing the pilots’ future with their union.

VivaAerobus will adjust its flights between 50-70% and temporarily suspend flights from Mexico City to New York.

[Inquirer]

According to De Standaard, the Belgian aviation sector has put requests in for amost half a billion euro in support measures to survive the lock down:
https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20200403_04912684
Brussels Airlines is asking for €290m as already reported
TUI Airlines Belgium €250m (!)
Swissport €40m
Aviapartner €18m
Most urgent case is reportedly Swissport, most surprising TUI (as well as the amount needed to survive, btw)

[rwandan-flyer]

Last update just got from ACI-Africa :

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Please find below a summary of our daily update of 02 April 2020 with respect to the status of COVID-19 in Africa.

• 4 COVID-19-free ACI Africa member countries: Comoros, Lesotho, São Tomé e Principe and St Helena
• 52 ACI Africa member countries affected (93%)
• Total number of COVID-19 cases reached 7,456 on 02 April, an increase of 10.2% on the previous day, representing 0.73% of the total number of cases worldwide.
• 45 African countries have closed their air borders, except for cargo and humanitarian flights.
• 14 countries account for more than 84% of the total number of cases.

Status as at 02 April 2020 - https://www.aci-africa.aero/files/Statu ... -04-20.pdf

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

This pdf gives detailed information for each country.

With all due respect to those affected, the numbers of cases and fatalities still seem eerily low.


H.A.

Thanks for the info.

In deed, but Africa lacks of infrastructure and it's possible that, the number of case is high. Africa has less flights to China and Asia, than Europe and North America. Trafic is less important. Most of cases in Africa, come from Europe (France, Belgium or UK) or United States, where the trafic is bigger.

However don't forget also that Africa has probably learned the lesson, from Ebola outbreak, in mid 2010s. Many countries closed their boarders or put lots of restrictions and temperature check at the airport. I remmember, in 2014, i flown from Paris to Kigali via Doha and when we landed at Kigali, Qatar Airways crew informed us, that Rwanda put drastic rules, against Ebola.

According to De Standaard, the Belgian aviation sector has put requests in for amost half a billion euro in support measures to survive the lock down:
https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20200403_04912684
Brussels Airlines is asking for €290m as already reported
TUI Airlines Belgium €250m (!)
Swissport €40m
Aviapartner €18m
Most urgent case is reportedly Swissport, most surprising TUI (as well as the amount needed to survive, btw)

TUI is also hardly hit by the grounding of the B737Max.

[TLspotting]

American Airlines postpones its launch of Chicago O'Hare - Kraków route, supposed to be on 7 May 2020 to 2021.

Kenya Airways requests an urgent support of the Kenyan government.

Düsseldorf :

[Passenger]

OO-LOE (TUI Belgium 787-8) planned to do a corona repat flight Surinam-Curaçao-Amsterdam, is grounded at PBM (Paramaribo, Surinam). Technical failure, expected delay 24 hours.
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airc ... e#244f2a21

(source: Dutch Scramble Messageboard)

[TLspotting]

[TLspotting]

Rumour of Cathay Pacific cutting Hong Kong - Brussels route after the current crisis.

[rwandan-flyer]

Embassy of Belgium in Kigali, motivé.
·

#CoronaVirus - The Embassy team at work at Kigali International Airport to help Belgian and other European citizens stranded in Rwanda and Eastern DRC to get back home. A special repatriation flight is operated by the Belgian Air Force. After #Kigali, it will pick up other European citizens in #Bujumbura before landing in Belgium. Safe trip to Everyone! #stayhome #staysafe Ambassade de Belgique au Burundi Embassy of Belgium in Kinshasa

https://www.facebook.com/BelgiuminRwand ... 3621211076

Rumour of Cathay Pacific cutting Hong Kong - Brussels route after the current crisis.

Service to Singapore will start from October 2020. And Thai will operate only 2-3 weekly flights to Brussels, from June 2020 (https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/ai ... f-03apr20/). Less flights. So indeed it won't be a surprised if CX ends BRU service, but wait and see.

[TLspotting]

airBaltic retires Boeing 737 Classic and Dash 8 Q400...

3 737 + 12 Q400...

[Passenger]

Anja Smit, a Dutch mother of three who is isolated in hospital since four weeks for leukemia therapy, got a nice surprise from her husband:
https://www.ad.nl/dossier-coronavirus/g ... ~ac936706/

("hou vol" means carry on, don't give up)

[Passenger]

OO-LOE (TUI Belgium 787-8) planned to do a corona repat flight Surinam-Curaçao-Amsterdam, is grounded at PBM (Paramaribo, Surinam). Technical failure, expected delay 24 hours.
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airc ... e#244f2a21

(source: Dutch Scramble Messageboard)

A local newssite reports that the departure of OO-LOE has been delayed till today just after noon. PBM Surinam is UTC-3, so time schedule is:
11h local = 14h UTC: lunch
12h local = 15h UTC: transfer from the hotels to PBM Airport

Source:
https://www.waterkant.net/suriname/2020 ... -zanderij/

[Homo Aeroportus]

OO-LOE (TUI Belgium 787-8) planned to do a corona repat flight Surinam-Curaçao-Amsterdam, is grounded at PBM (Paramaribo, Surinam). Technical failure, expected delay 24 hours.
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airc ... e#244f2a21

(source: Dutch Scramble Messageboard)

A local newssite reports that the departure of OO-LOE has been delayed till today just after noon. PBM Surinam is UTC-3, so time schedule is:
11h local = 14h UTC: lunch
12h local = 15h UTC: transfer from the hotels to PBM Airport

Source:
https://www.waterkant.net/suriname/2020 ... -zanderij/

Just saw that OO-JDL is on her way to PBM.
ETA 1447LT.

May be to deliver the requires spares and pick up the stranded Pax.

H.A.

[TLspotting]

[Atlantis]

Rumour of Cathay Pacific cutting Hong Kong - Brussels route after the current crisis.

Sounds strange to me. Why they would implement a new flight schedule as from 1 June to cut the route after COVID - 19 crisis? That's not logic. If they really would like to cut the route then it would be as from now already

Bear in mind that the majority of the airlines will have a reduced schedule as from the moment they can fly again. This not only for CX.

The first indication will be the Winter schedule

[TLspotting]

Wuhan Airport to open soon after a 76 days break, on 8 April, with a small amount of operated flights.
161 people are currently in the Terminal 3 to disinfect it.

[Passenger]

Today was the date for the biggest annual event in Flanders: de Ronde van Vlaanderen - Cycling Tour of Flanders. Cancelled, obvious. VTM and HLN.be have replaced this by a live helicopter tour of Flanders: with OO-HSA, an Airbus AS355. It's amazing to see how many people have prepared something special to support all Care workers!

Now online:
https://www.hln.be/nieuws/binnenland/ki ... a32ab6e4e/

Flightradar24.com:
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/oo-hsa

Live tv:
on VTM

Recorded earlier: "Preparing OO-HSA":
https://www.hln.be/nieuws/binnenland/on ... ~a90053cc/

Recorded earlier: Water salute for OO-HSA from OST Ostend Airport:
https://www.hln.be/nieuws/binnenland/lu ... ~a7ac040d/