Mirroring its impact on aviation, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on airline companies due to travel restrictions and a slump in demand among travelers. Several airlines have declared bankruptcy, with some ceasing operations, while other airlines reported historic reductions in flights, as well as accelerating retirements of certain aircraft types, such as the Airbus A340, Airbus A380, or the Boeing 747. By 8 October 2020, 43 commercial airlines had gone bankrupt, and many more were expected to follow. [1] In late October 2020, ACI Europe stated that 193 (mostly regional) of the 740 airports in Europe were also risking bankruptcy. [2]
In 2019, Air Canada was in talks to buy Air Transat for C$720 million but later revised their price to C$180 million in October 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. [53]
On January 24, 2020, LOT Polish Airlines announced that it would acquire Condor Flugdienst. [54] On 2 April 2020 it was announced that the sale had fallen through due to the industry turmoil caused by the coronavirus pandemic. [55] [56]
In November 2020, Korean Air (more than 170 aircraft) parent Hanjin announced a W1.8 trillion ($1.62 billion) takeover bid for rival Asiana Airlines (82 aircraft) from Kumho Industrial, becoming one of the ten largest airlines in the world, as state-owned Korea Development Bank will invest W800 billion into Hanjin KAL. [57]
Avianca S.A., is the largest airline in Colombia. It has been the flag carrier of Colombia since December 5, 1919, when it was initially registered under the name SCADTA. It is headquartered in Colombia, with its registered office in Barranquilla and its global headquarters in Bogotá and main hub at El Dorado International Airport. Avianca is the flagship of a group of airlines of the Americas, which operates as one airline using a codesharing system. Avianca is the largest airline in Colombia and second largest in South America, after LATAM of Chile. Avianca and its subsidiaries have the most extensive network of destinations in the Americas. Prior to the merger with TACA in 2010, it was wholly owned by Synergy Group, a South American holding company established by Germán Efromovich and specializing in air transport. It is listed on the Colombia Stock Exchange.
Virgin Atlantic, a trading name of Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited and Virgin Atlantic International Limited, is a British airline with its head office in Crawley, West Sussex, England. The airline was established in 1984 as British Atlantic Airways, and was originally planned by its co-founders Randolph Fields and Alan Hellary to fly between London and the Falkland Islands. Soon after changing the name to Virgin Atlantic Airways, Fields sold his shares in the company to Richard Branson in return for unlimited free travel. The maiden flight from London–Gatwick to Newark took place on 22 June 1984.
Swiss International Air Lines AG, stylized as SWISS, is the flag carrier of Switzerland and a subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group, as well as a Star Alliance member. It operates scheduled services in Europe and to North America, South America, Africa and Asia. Zurich Airport serves as its main hub and Geneva Airport as its secondary hub.
Fiji Airways is the flag carrier of Fiji. It operates international services from its hubs in Fiji to 27 destinations. It has an extended network of 108 international destinations through its codeshare partners. The Fiji Airways Group brings in 64 percent of all visitors who fly to Fiji, employs over 1,000 employees, and earns revenues of over FJD$815 million (US$390m).
Etihad Airways is one of two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates, alongside Emirates. Its head office is in Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, near Zayed International Airport. The airline commenced operations in November 2003, and is the second-largest airline in the UAE after Emirates.
Jet Airways (India) Limited, trading as Jet Airways, was an Indian airline based in Delhi, with a training and developmental centre in Mumbai. Incorporated in April 1992 as a limited liability company, the airline began operations as an air taxi operator in 1993. It began full-fledged operations in 1995 with international flights added in 2004. The airline went public in 2005 and in 2007, when it acquired Air Sahara. The airline is expected to re-commence its flight operations by the end of 2024, making it the first Indian airline to be revived after ceasing operations.
Jet2.com Limited is a British low-cost leisure airline based at Leeds Bradford Airport, England. It offers scheduled and charter flights from the United Kingdom. As of 2022, it is the third-largest scheduled airline in the UK, behind easyJet and British Airways. Jet2 is also officially the largest tour operator in the UK after overtaking TUI in 2023.
Air Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd is the national carrier of Zimbabwe, headquartered on the property of Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, in Harare. From its hub at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, the carrier used to operate a network within southern Africa that also included Asia and London-Gatwick. Following financial difficulties, Air Zimbabwe ceased operations in late February 2012. Serving a reduced domestic network, the carrier resumed operations for a short period between May and early July 2012, when flights were again discontinued. Some flights were restarted on a discontinuous basis in November that year. The airline resumed operating some domestic routes as well as the regional service to Johannesburg on a daily basis in April 2013.
Air Astana is an airline and the flag carrier of Kazakhstan. Based in Almaty, the airline was founded by the Government of Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth fund Samruk Kazyna (51%) and BAE Systems (49%) and commenced operations on 15 May 2002. In February 2024 it became a dual listed company, being listed on the Kazakhstan and London stock exchanges. It is the largest airline in Central Asia and the Caucasus region with 69% and 40% of market share on domestic and intra-regional routes from Kazakhstan.
Blue Panorama Airlines S.p.A. was an Italian airline headquartered in Fiumicino operating scheduled and charter flights mostly to domestic and international leisure destinations. As of late 2021, the airline was in the process to change its brand name to Luke Air also retiring their former Blu-express brand used for domestic and short-haul destinations. Additional business charter flights used to be operated under the name Executive Blue. As of late October 2021, it suspended all operations until further notice and was subsequently liquidated in late 2022.
Titan Airways Limited is a British charter airline based at London Stansted Airport. The carrier specialises in short-notice ACMI and wet lease operations, as well as ad-hoc passenger and cargo charter services to tour operators, corporations, governments, and the sports and entertainment sectors. The company holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence, permitting it to carry passengers, cargo and mail, on aircraft with 20 or more seats.
Austrian Airlines AG, often shortened to Austrian or AUA, is the flag carrier of Austria and a subsidiary of Lufthansa, the flag carrier of the Federal Republic of Germany. The airline is headquartered on the grounds of Vienna International Airport in Schwechat where it also maintains its hub. As of July 2016, the airline flew to six domestic and more than 120 international year-round and seasonal destinations in 55 countries and is a member of the Star Alliance.
Jettime A/S, previously known as Jet Time, is a Danish charter airline with its head office in Kastrup, Tårnby Municipality, and its main base at Copenhagen Airport.
La Compagnie, legally incorporated as DreamJet SAS, is a French boutique airline founded by Frantz Yvelin and based at Orly Airport in Paris, with headquarters in Le Bourget in the Paris metropolitan area. It offers all-business class flights between Europe and Newark Liberty International Airport.
This article explores the history of Singapore Airlines, the flag carrier of the Republic of Singapore and based at the Singapore Changi Airport. Singapore Airlines, also known by its abbreviations of SIA or SQ, has often been ranked throughout its history as either amongst the best or the best airline in the world.
This is a list of aviation-related events in 2019.
Many aviation-related events took place in 2020. The aviation industry was impacted by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the airline industry due to travel restrictions and a decimation in demand among travelers.
Many aviation-related events took place in 2021. The aviation industry continued to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many aviation-related events took place in 2022. Throughout the year, the aviation industry was recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"For all intents and purposes, [SAA] has already collapsed," says Adrian Saville, founder of Cannon Asset Managers in Johannesburg.
...the only remaining options are either the company winds down by terminating employees with an agreement, or they apply to the courts to discontinue business rescue and place the airline into liquidation. "The practitioners have presented a collective agreement to all unions and representatives of non-unionized employees of SAA on April 17, 2020, for consideration and negotiation, and have advised that agreement must be reached by April 24, 2020.
...we'll be suspending around 60 per cent of our domestic flying until the end of May 2020.
All Qantas and Jetstar international flights from Australia will be suspended from the end of March until at least 31 May 2020. Some additional services may be considered to assist with repatriation. More than 150 aircraft will be grounded during this time, including all of Qantas' A380s, 747s and B787s.
The statement went on to say that because of the ski valley's B Corp ethos – which involves partaking in the local community – it has acknowledged the reality that "the uncertainty of current and future travel restrictions to New Mexico made it impossible to deliver a reliable Taos Air service this year."