Portugal’s TAP will temporarily lay off around 90% of its employees because of the coronavirus crisis that led to a collapse in demand for travel, according to an email sent by the airline to staff on Tuesday. From April 1 to at least May 4, TAP will only use its fleet to repatriate citizens, transport medical supplies and operate flights to the Portuguese islands of Azores and Madeira, the company said in the email. All other flights will be suspended. “The situation has been aggravated by the increasing restrictions on air traffic already imposed by more than a hundred states and the very sharp drop in demand, so TAP is forced to stop its activity almost completely,” said TAP, which has more than 10,000 workers. Employees affected by the 30-day long measure will receive two-thirds of their monthly salaries, TAP said. The 10% of remaining workers will receive 80% of their monthly salaries due to reduced working hours. TAP’s executive and non-executive directors voluntarily proposed a further 35% reduction in their salaries.<br/>
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Furloughed crew from crisis-hit Scandinavian airline SAS are taking a three-day course in basic hospital duties to help plug gaps in a Swedish healthcare system strained by thousands of coronavirus cases. The airline temporarily laid off 10,000 staff - 90% of its workforce - this month to cut costs and ride out a plunge in air travel due the pandemic and related border closures. With Stockholm’s healthcare system in need of reinforcement as cases rise, Sophiahemmet University Hospital is teaching former cabin crew skills such as sterilizing equipment, making hospital beds and providing information to patients and their relatives. The first students are due to complete the course on Thursday and the response has been overwhelming. “We now have a long, long list of healthcare providers that are just waiting for them,” said Johanna Adami, principal at the University. Airlines in Australia, and the U.S. have also enquired about using the training methods for their staff.<br/>
The parent of Japan's ANA has backed a startup launched by its own employees to further develop remotely controlled avatars that can be used in tourism, retail and health care. ANA Holdings and the two employees will invest a total of 200m yen ($1.8m) into the startup, called Avatar-in, though the size of the stake is undisclosed. Fishing and skindiving for shellfish are two of the experiences that ANA has already tested with its avatars. The new startup will seek to raise funds broadly, as well as to accelerate development and partnerships. The move comes as ANA said Tuesday that it will furlough nearly half its workforce on a rotating basis as the coronavirus pandemic sinks international passenger traffic. Remote access to health care and other services has taken on new urgency during the pandemic. Avatars let people interact through a video monitor from a remote location. ANA has deployed the machines, dubbed "newme," on a trial basis in shopping centers and tourist attractions, enabling users to go on virtual shopping and sightseeing trips. The startup also develops robotic avatars capable of delivering remote medicine.<br/>
The Ministry of Civil Aviation of India Tuesday announced that over 62 flights have been operated across the nation to supply essential medical equipment. These flights were operated during the five-day period till March 30. 45 out of the 62 flights were operated by Air India and Alliance Air alone and almost 15 tons of medical supplies were distributed to different parts of the country. Although India has shown an incredible resistance to the spread of a pandemic, the rising number of cases has forced the Indian authorities to take strict measures. Since midnight of March 24, no scheduled passenger services have been operated in or out of any airport in India. However, during these difficult times, Indian carriers are coming together to serve the nation. Private carriers like IndiGo, Spicejet and Blue Dart have contributed to the government’s efforts to supply essential medical goods to the places in need. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has set up a ‘Lifeline Udan’ scheme to facilitate the easy movement of goods and services. Airports Authority of India (AAI) and other airport entities of India have supported the government’s scheme to help setup cargo hubs across the country.<br/>
EgyptAir concluded Tuesday its flights to evacuate 1,500 Egyptians stranded in Kuwait. The decision to operate these exceptional flights came as part of the Egyptian government's plan to evacuate Egyptians abroad after flights were suspended due to coronavirus. The fifth exceptional flight to bring back Egyptian nationals stranded in left the Gulf country on March 30, carrying 350 Egyptians, Kuwaiti state news agency KUNA reported. The 350 passengers included 14 people expelled for violating the residence law. The flight was operated in coordination between the Kuwaiti authorities, the Egyptian Embassy in Kuwait and the Egyptian flag carrier EgyptAir. The fourth flight was operated on March 29, with 303 Egyptian residents on board, bringing the number of Egyptian nationals who departed Kuwait in the recent evacuation flights to 1293 people.<br/>