Covid wreaked havoc on airlines in 2020. Here’s how, in charts

Few sectors of the battered global economy have been hit as hard as the airline industry in 2020. The coronavirus pandemic left fleets of planes grounded and caused air passenger traffic to slump as much as 94%. Cash-strapped carriers have been struggling to rebuild, hampered by further waves of infection and strict curbs on travel. From crippling financial losses and painfully diminished market values to shrunken networks and mounting debt piles, the industry has been put through the wringer. “If there ever was an annus horribilis, this is it,” IATAn DG Alexandre de Juniac said. “Nobody in aviation will ever be nostalgic for 2020.” Story features charts tracing Covid-19’s impact.<br/>