Aviation Covid-19 Situation Report (24th March 2020)
March 24, 2020
To keep our affiliates updated, we will be posting daily Covid-19 situation reports on our blog. These reports will focus on the effect the virus is having on the aviation industry, and specifically on aviation workers. These reports are a compilation of publically available information provided to us by our affiliates and media outlets.
If you have information to provide please contact us at civilaviation@itf.org.uk.
The ITF cannot guarantee that the information provided is accurate at the time of reading. This update is not complete as we can only post what information we have been given by our affiliates or on news outlets.
Keep up to date on all transport COVID-19 stories at https://www.itfglobal.org/en/news-events/covid-19-updates.
Global
Austria
- 7 smaller airports have been closed in Austria, this is in force until 13 April.
- All 7,000 workers at Austrian Airlines have been placed in unemployment schemes. All flights will be stopped until April 17.
- Laudamotion has suspended almost all flights.
Burkina Faso
- Ouagadougou International Airport and Bobo-Dioulasso Airport have been closed for 2 weeks from March 21.
Canada
Cape Verde
- All flights to and from Boa Vista have been suspended until April 4.
China
Ethiopia
- Authorities have indicated that Ethiopian Airlines would cease flight operations to 30 countries, however they have not announced which countries.
European Union
- All main airports/airspaces in Europe remain open despite significantly reduced traffic.
- On continental Europe, ANSPs are trying to shut some ATM services where they are not needed and adapting shifts to have less people working.
- Airport operators and service providers have written to the European Commission seeking urgent support.
- Ryanair expects to operate no flights in April and May.
- All Ryanair workers are expected to take a pay cut of at least 50%. In some cases the company is refusing to give workers any pay from its own pockets, and is giving workers only pay provided by states.
France
- Biarritz-Pays Basques, Lille and Metz-Nancy airports have closed.
- Air France’s regional airline HOP has suspended all operations.
- The Air France/KLM Group have suspended 90% of long-haul operations and 95% of short-haul operations. Workers are on partial unemployment and will retain 84% of salary.
Gambia
- International flights have been suspended from March 23.
Germany
- Niederrhein airport has closed.
- Nuernberg airport will close from April.
- Lufthansa Group carriers Eurowings and Germanwings have suspended all operations.
Ghana
- All international flights have been suspended from March 23 – April 5.
Iceland
- Icelandair has disclosed that only 14% of its flights are operating. It expects to move 92% of workers to temporary part-time work.
- It is also cutting 240 workers and salaries of the remaining 4,500 will be reduced by 20%.
Ireland
- Ryanair expects to operate no flights in April and May.
- All Ryanair workers are expected to take a pay cut of at least 50%. In some cases the company is refusing to give workers any pay from its own pockets, and is giving workers only pay provided by states.
India
Italy
- 23 airports are now closed in Italy. 18 remain open. Alitalia is now the only airline operating into and out of Italy.
Kenya
- All international flights are suspended from 23:59 March 25. Domestic flights will continue.
Liberia
- All commercial passenger flights are suspended from March 23-April 14.
Netherlands
- Dutch travel company Corendon will cancel all travel until June 1.
- The Air France/KLM Group have suspended 90% of long-haul operations and 95% of short-haul operations. Workers are on partial unemployment and will retain 84% of salary.
- KLM has announced its summer schedule for 2020, which is just 10% of its usual summer schedule.
Nigeria
- All international flights to Nigeria have been suspended. Domestic flights will continue.
Norway
- Traffic in Norway is now down to 10-20% with 9 regional airports closed.
- Wilderoe pilots and cabin crew will remain on 60% full pay with 40% temporary leave. The airline has cancelled just 50% of services as their operation is predominately domestic and PSO routes.
Singapore
- Singapore Airlines is cutting 96% of its scheduled flights and grounding 90% of its aircraft. Similar measures are affecting its subsidiaries Scoot and SilkAir.
- JetStar Asia Airways has suspended operations through April 15.
Slovakia
- All international flights have been cancelled since 13 March except cargo flights.
Slovenia
- All flights have been cancelled since 7 March.
South Africa
- South African Airways has suspended 162 international and regional flights citing both low-demand and restrictions due to COVID-19.
Spain
- All domestic flights to Balearics and Canaries have been cancelled in addition to international flights with the exception of medical care flights. This lockdown is likely to be extended to 12 April.
Sweden
- The Swedish state is giving economic support to companies with CLAs. They are maintaining a salary level of 92.5% with a minimum working time of 60%.
- TUI, Sunclass (formerly Thomas Cook Scandinavia) and Novair have agreed a short time work agreement with unions and will get government support. SAS is in negotiations with unions today for the same deal. Cityjet however intends to reduce working time and salary to 20% and will not apply for state support.
- OSM has fired 340 of its 397 workers.
Thailand
- Thai AirAsia has suspended international flights from 22 March-25 April.
- Thai Lion Air has cut 23% of its capacity – all to foreign countries.
- Thai AirAsia X has suspended some flights to Japan and South Korea for 3 months, and its Bangkk-Brisbane service.
- NokScoot (the international arm of domestic carrier Nok) is suspending all flights to China, India, Japan and Taiwan for the rest of March. Given their lack of domestic operations, it is expected that the airline will remain grounded through April.
- Bangkok Airways has suspended all international flights from 22 March until further notice.
Uganda
- Entebbe Airport is closed to passenger traffic from 00:01 March 22.
United Kingdom
- There has been a slight increase in cargo and business jet traffic in the UK but traffic projections are for a massive drop.
- Much of the UK’s airports remain open as they are listed as “business critical” but many are under review.
- There are night closures currently in place in Birmingham, London Gatwick and Newcastle.
- ATCOs and ATM staff are being offered voluntary unpaid leave and roster changes but no pay reductions.
- Operational staff will continue to operate on watch based rosters, but standbys have been put in place.
- Where appropriate to the unit and traffic levels, Radar in the Tower (RiTT) will be used.
- Where appropriate MET and ancillary tasks are being done by ATCOs to enable certain workers to not come to work.
- Students training in the system will remain in place for now, however all students at NATS college and other unit based students are being sent home.
- All ATC sites are in full lockdown. Workers are being advised to follow government guidance of self-isolation.
- Any workers who can work from home or remotely have been asked to do so for the foreseeable future.
- ATC teams are being segregated – including separate entry, exits, taped walk ways and separate break rooms.
- For further information on the ATM situation please contact us.
- British Airways has drastically cut its in-flight services and has advised passengers to bring their own food.
United States of America