Coronavirus Hits Airlines and Flight Ticket-Booking Industry

From New Zealand to the Middle-East, Air carriers from across the world are suspending China flights. CoVid 19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019) is perhaps the worst crisis since 9/11.

As unfortunate as it is, the Coronavirus (CoV) outbreak is also bad-news for multiple industries. And, the airline and aviation industry is at the forefront, especially the Asia-Pacific region.

So, let’s take a brief look at how coronavirus has hit the airlines and flight ticket-booking Industry.

Airline Stocks Are Plunging

The stocks of the big three of the US Airline industry, i.e., American Airlines, Delta, and United, are facing a downward trend. American Airlines is hit the hardest, as its stock closes at an all-time low.

Not just the USA skies, but international airlines like Lufthansa are facing the same problem. The stocks dropped by 3% for the German airline. It is much lower than American Airlines’ stock which dipped by 9%. Air France, on the other hand, experienced a 4% cut.

However, things may get worse for the European carriers in light of the spread of CoV in Italy and other regions of the continent.

The aviation industry and the financial world, in general, are experiencing global scale damage. The S & P 500 index saw a decline of about 11.5 percent this week. It is the highest since 2008’s financial crisis.

International Airlines are Suspending Flights

No wonder airline stocks are plunging. Worldwide air carriers are suspending services to mainland China. American Airlines, for instance, has abandoned all flights between the USA and China.

Some airlines are also cutting the plane capacity on China-bound flights, while some are temporarily eliminating selected routes.

Take a quick look at the following:

• Air Canada:

The airline has canceled several direct flight routes. This includes flights to Chinese destinations of Shanghai and Beijing. Also, you won’t be able to fly on Toronto to Hong Kong Air Canada flights.

The suspension of service is until the end of March. However, Vancouver to Hong Kong remains unaffected.

• Qantas:

Qantas gave in to Singapore and the United States of America transit restrictions. This comes in light of the airline crew movement across the Qantas International Network.

As a result, direct flight services such as Sydney to Beijing and Shanghai are temporarily discontinued.

• Qatar:

Similarly, Qatar suspending flight services to China until further notice. According to the airline, Qatar is facing operational challenges arising out of the entry restrictions by some countries.

However, airlines of one region, in particular, are facing more than others.

Huge Blow to Airlines in the Asia-Pacific Region

No one saw this coming. Coronavirus is a huge blow to airlines operating in the Asia-Pacific. The plunge in the airline and travel industry is the first for over a decade.

Take a look at International Air Transport Association IATA forecasts:

• Airlines Lose Billions of Revenue:

The airline revenue is going to suffer by billions. While the combined loss is estimated to be 30 billion US Dollars. Of which, 12.8 billion US Dollars worth of loss comes from China’s home market alone.

• Increase in Flight Cancelation

Flight cancelations and suspensions are peaking. Leisure travelers are changing plans and airlines are dropping flight services to China.

In fact, countries are canceling major events. For instance, the Geneva Motor Show was scrubbed.

Moreover, a major annual San Francisco video game conference was postponed. Biggies like Sony, Facebook, and Microsoft withdrew their participation in the event due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

• Passenger Inconvenience

Coronavirus undeniably caused mass inconvenience. From the suspension of services to cutting down seat capacity, there have been numerous cases of dissatisfied passengers.

Recently, a Canadian family accompanying a coughing infant was deplaned from an Air Transat flight. The airline maintains that a Coronavirus emergency has no link to the matter.

They were bumped, as they couldn’t provide a health certificate to prove that the 21-month infant was healthy enough to fly.

Aircraft Manufacturing Rate Lowers

Next, the dreaded virus also affects the aircraft manufacturing rate. China is an essential supplier of Airbus components.

Their manufacturing plant in Tianjin, China was shut down briefly affecting the production. This will, in turn, add to the burden of the pending backlog of aircraft units.

Moreover, the great French aerospace company, Safran shuts all of its manufacturing units in China.

There is also an obvious dip in the number of overseas buyers.

How Airlines are fighting the Coronavirus Crisis?

Since travel is never going to come to a halt, airlines and airport authorities have taken strict measures to contain the CoVid 19 outbreak.

• Changing In-Flight Utilities:

Airlines such as Singapore, Korean Air, and Cathay have discontinued some in-flight services. These include hot towel service and seatback reading material.

• Cabin Air-Filter System:

Since health and safety cannot be compromised, airlines use cabin air filter systems that work like those in the operating rooms of hospitals.

• Disinfecting Planes:

Airlines are using some of the strongest hospital-grade disinfectants to service their fleet. Moreover, the airline is disinfecting the passenger meal trays after each flight.

The same goes for television screens. Singapore Airlines also states that they change the headsets, headrest covers, blankets, and pillow covers.

• Futuristic Spray-on Film:

Very soon, airlines shall adopt ACT.Global’s cleaning system. They have invented a spray-on film that cleans the surface on its own. The aircraft cabins will disinfect themselves for up to 12 months. This means you don’t need any chemicals to disinfect planes.

Here’s how the film works. A photocatalytic reaction takes place when the transparent film comes in contact with light. This reaction kills all the microbes thus purifying the air.

The name of the film is Premium Purity. Moreover, it has proven to be effective against Coronavirus.

If your flight ticket booking to the Asia-Pacific has been canceled, it is to avoid the virus from spreading. The airlines shall resume services as soon as possible. Meanwhile, you can plan a vacation to countries unaffected by the virus. All in all, flying remains safe.

So, you have an idea about the ill-effects of Coronavirus in the aviation industry. Since travel is inevitable, you must also know how to fight the virus. Therefore, follow these precautions against Coronavirus while traveling from the USA to India or the Asia Pacific region. Have a safe travel experience!