Airlines UK statement on impact of coronavirus on airline sector

March 16th, 2020

Commenting on the impact of coronavirus on the UK airline industry, Tim Alderslade, Chief Executive of Airlines UK, the industry body representing UK-registered airlines, said:

“The current challenges faced by the UK airline sector are truly unprecedented, and stark. Even just days ago, the idea that airlines across the globe would be cancelling thousands of flights and grounding aircraft on the current scale would have been unthinkable. Yet, this is the situation we see today, with carriers managing both the devastating impact of the collapse in demand for flying as people stay home, alongside the daily operational challenges of responding to border closures, travel restrictions and new health protocols.

“The situation is now truly critical. COVID-19 risks a lasting and irreversible effect on the health of the UK’s aviation industry – the third largest in the world – and the future for UK airlines is indeed now uncertain.”