The impact of the coronavirus could result in passenger airlines losing up to $113b in revenues this year, the IATA has said, adding that the collapse of Flybe is proof that “urgent action” is needed to protect the industry. The updated forecast is almost four times the estimate from only 13 days ago, reflecting the spread of the coronavirus outbreak to Europe. Airline share prices have fallen on average by nearly 25% since the outbreak began, a drop six times greater than at the same point in the Sars outbreak of 2003. Iata said with limited further spread of the virus, in markets with more than 100 currently confirmed Covid-19 cases, there could be a recovery that would lead to global losses being limited to $63b this year, predominantly in the Asia-Pacific region. However, should similar patterns emerge in countries that currently only have 10 or more cases, Iata said the crash in revenues would reach the levels of the financial crisis, with Europe and the US being hit by huge losses as sales fall by 19%.<br/>
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Concerns about the coronavirus have sparked a dramatic decline in air travel this week, dealing the aviation industry what one executive called on Thursday a "gut punch." As a result, the industry is considering canceling more flights and is reassessing procedures such as cleaning procedures -- all with the uncertainty of how long the travel slump will last. Industry leaders who gathered at a US Chamber of Commerce annual aviation summit said the outbreak has caused a drop-off in business, but voiced optimism that travel will return to normal levels soon after public fears abate. "This isn't economic in the sense that people want to travel but they can't afford to," said Gary Kelly, the CEO of Southwest. "We could discount prices tomorrow and it wouldn't do any good." His airline -- which has not yet cut service, unlike several of its competitors -- will likely have to do so soon, he said. <br/>Doug Parker of American Airlines, the world's largest airline, said demand has dropped so much for some routes that "it doesn't make sense for us to fly the airplane there and back and burn the fuel because there's just not enough people." The Federal Aviation Administration is dusting off its own continuity plans that would enable it to keep the nation's air travel moving during an outbreak, Administrator Stephen Dickson said.<br/>
In just a few days, US travel has begun to crumble. That’s the message from a sudden rash of warnings from US airlines. Southwest said Thursday that Q1 sales would take a hit of as much as $300m after a plunge in demand that CEO Gary Kelly called a “gut punch.” United and JetBlue are planning to trim flights as they brace for a slowdown. The tumble in demand underscored the escalating crisis for airlines as governments around the world try to contain the spread of an epidemic that has sickened more than 95,000. A global trade group for airlines said the industry will lose as much as $113b in sales because of the outbreak. As infections worsen in the US, companies from Boeing to JPMorgan Chase & Co. have curtailed non-essential business travel. “The spread of the coronavirus is rapidly sending the airline industry into a recession with the possibility of a global slowdown,” Andrew Didora, an analyst at Bank of America, said in a note to clients. A Standard & Poor’s index of major US airlines fell 8.2%, the biggest drop since October 2011. The ratio of the Dow Jones Transportation Average to the broader blue-chip industrial average has plummeted to its lowest level since the financial crisis.<br/>
Amid an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, US CDC Wednesday recommended that airlines continue to follow "routine operating procedures" for cleaning aircraft unless an ill passenger is onboard -- including those with fever, cough or difficulty breathing. The recommendations will be updated as more information becomes available, the agency said. If symptomatic passengers are identified during or immediately after a flight, the CDC said airlines should follow enhanced cleaning procedures -- including cleaning staff wearing personal protective equipment, such as disposable gloves and gowns. Airlines should clean any soft surfaces -- such as cloth seats and seat belts -- within 6 feet of any ill passenger, the CDC said. That includes removing "visible contamination if present" and using other cleaners. The CDC also said airlines should disinfect hard surfaces within 6 feet of an ill passenger, including seats and seatbacks, tray tables, seat belt latches, light and air controls, crew call buttons, overhead compartment handles, walls, bulkheads, windows, shades and video monitors. Airlines should also clean bathrooms used by symptomatic passengers and dispose of any items that cannot be cleaned, such as pillows. Additionally, the CDC reminded airlines of their obligation, under US regulations, to report any symptomatic travelers on domestic or international flights to US health officials.<br/>
A major US flight attendants union is calling for an exception for airlines to be able to mount full-size hand sanitizer in the galley area and near lavatories of airplanes. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents nearly 50,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines, said this is at the "top of the list" of recommendations the union has made to address the coronavirus crisis for the industry. "You keep hearing from the health professionals, the most important way to mitigate the spread of disease is frequent hand washing, and when that's not possible, the use of hand sanitizer, 60% alcohol or greater," Nelson said. That comes with "certain complications" on airplanes because the DoT must approve large quantities of liquids and gels on planes, she said. In the meantime, Nelson said airlines have been providing extra hand sanitizer for flight attendants when they start their trips, which can be used to refill smaller bottles. The union has also called for the installation of "hand sanitizer stations in airports and on planes," as well as the distribution of so-called universal precaution kits on each flight. <br/>