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The Thai Pilots Association is asking for financial assistance from the Commerce and Transport ministries after 40,000 airline employees were affected by an emergency decree. Several airlines have grounded most of their flights and there are only 12 flights between provinces left at the moment. The association has appealed to the govt for subsidies for airline employees, especially those of THAI and Thai Smile which are state-owned enterprises. The head of the pilots association, said that workers in airline businesses have not received any financial aid from the govt but they were obligated to obtain money from social security because airlines could not be closed like other businesses. The cancellation of flights had hit airlines' revenue hard. For example, THAI had cut staff salaries by 10-50%. <br/>

The coronavirus pandemic has brought the global aviation industry to its knees, and African carriers are particularly vulnerable as they seek assistance from govts already facing constrained finances. Ethiopian Airlines, South African Airways and Kenya Airways are among national airlines staring at mounting losses and the destruction of growth plans put in place before the Covid-19 outbreak. African carriers may lose US$4b in 2020 revenue as demand for travel around the continent grinds to a halt, IATA said. All 3 of Africa’s biggest carriers “will, in some shape or form, have to enter into conversations with their respective govts about bailouts,” Mike Mabasa, chairman of the Air Services Licensing Council in South Africa, said. <br/>