Trump vows to help struggling US airlines

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said his administration would help US airlines facing sharp downturns in passenger traffic as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic, but gave no details. "We'll be helping the airlines. You have to help the airlines," Trump told reporters before departing on a visit to Kenosha, Wisconsin. "Airlines are a tough business in good times." Airline shares jumped briefly on Trump's comments but later gave up the gains and were trading in negative territory. White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows last week said Trump was weighing executive action to avoid massive layoffs at airlines if Congress fails to agree on a fresh economic stimulus package to counter the fallout from the pandemic. Helping the airline industry is a "significant concern" for the Trump administration given its strategic importance for national security and supply chains, in addition to the large number of jobs at stake, a senior administration official said. The official said there was significant bipartisan support in Congress for measures to help airlines and ensure they survived the prolonged collapse in demand. "We're ready to negotiate," the official said.<br/>