Faced with an unprecedented corona crisis, the tourism industry is severely affected with one thing in particular topping the list: the airlines. Having seen the planes gradually empty, carriers could now see 10.2 million seats threatened by containment in Europe, according to ForwardKeys.
If the entire economy is upset by the health crisis, now the economic crisis, caused by the coronavirus, the main concern comes from the sky.
Indeed, the airlines are in great difficulty, so much so that the Italian government has taken the decision to nationalize Alitalia last week after years of losses.
The confinement, which was initially limited to the provinces of China, was gradually imposed on Italy, then Spain and now in France, before affecting many European countries. The consequences of these drastic decisions mean that 48,200 flights and 10.2 million seats in Europe are threatened to be cancelled.
With the imposition of a travel ban to the United States from Schengen countries on Friday the 13th and from the United Kingdom and Ireland on Monday the 16th, hardly anyone can travel to the United States from Europe.
Now, with the latest travel restrictions, this time proposed by the EU, international air traffic is almost stalled.
Among the companies most threatened by the decrease in the number of flights is: Air France.
In fact, France is the country most affected by the containment measures, since more than 2 million seats are at risk.
“The airline that could suffer the most from the new EU restrictions is Air France, which has around 800,000 seats between the EU and other regions of the world," according to ForwardKeys.
However, the German Lufthansa Group is in a similarly dark situation. By April 19, only about five percent of the originally planned flights will take place. For the time being, around 700 of the Group's 763 aircraft remain on the ground.
CEO Carsten Spohr said: "The spread of the coronavirus has put the entire global economy and our company in an unprecedented state of emergency. The longer this crisis lasts, the more likely it is that the future of aviation cannot be guaranteed without government aid."
The manager had already reported last week that Lufthansa is talking to the governments of Germany, Austria, Belgium and Switzerland about possible support.