Turkey’s aviation industry seeks government aid amid virus surge

Turkey’s airlines are seeking government help for 20b liras ($2.5b) of bank loans to help them withstand the slump in travel. Airline executives met Transport Minister Adil Karaismailoglu in Ankara on Wednesday, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, asking not to be identified because the meeting was private. The minister is sympathetic to the request and will discuss it with other members of the government including Treasury and Finance Minister Lutfi Elvan, one of the people said. Details such as loan duration, costs and grace periods will be discussed at a later stage, the other person said. Domestic and international travel restrictions and passengers’ reluctance to fly have burdened the industry, with flagship carrier Turkish Airlines, airport operator TAV and budget carrier Pegasus all reporting losses for the first nine months of the year. Turkish Airlines has reduced staff pay and sent foreign pilots on unpaid leave to slash costs, but analysts expect it to post a record loss of 7.31b liras this year.<br/>