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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Airlines at centre of storm as coronavirus spreads

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European airlines stepped up their warnings over the coronavirus outbreak on Friday, with British Airways owner IAG and Finnair flagging a hit to profits and EasyJet reporting a big drop in demand into and out of a virus-affected region in Italy.


All three airlines also joined rivals in announcing cost cuts to help weather a storm of unknown severity and duration.


A new coronavirus, which emerged late last year in China, has sent the demand for travel tumbling in recent weeks as the outbreak has spread around the world, raising fears of a pandemic that could plunge the global economy into recession.


The crisis is exacerbating deep-rooted problems in an airline industry grappling with overcapacity, environmental pressures and the grounding of Boeing’s 737 Max.


IAG, which also owns Iberia and Aer Lingus, usually gives an earnings forecast at this time of year but said the uncertainty over the impact and duration of the coronavirus outbreak meant it could not give accurate guidance at this stage.


However, it warned: “We are currently experiencing demand weakness on Asian and European routes and a weakening of business travel across our network resulting from the cancellation of industry events and corporate travel restrictions.”


British Airways has in recent days canceled flights to and from Italy, Singapore, and South Korea, after it suspended all direct flights to China in January. IAG said further cancellations would follow in the coming days.


To deal with the drop in business, IAG said it was cutting costs, without giving details - joining the likes of Germany’s Lufthansa and Amsterdam-based KLM which have announced similar moves.


It also said flight cancellations would reduce capacity growth this year, although CEO Willie Walsh said the group could start to add capacity if other airlines failed.


Shares in European carriers have been hit particularly hard as the illness spread across the region, with the death toll in Italy, Europe’s worst-hit country, rising to 17 and hundreds of holidaymakers on Spain’s Canary Islands quarantined after four cases were detected there.


Budget carrier EasyJet reported a “significant” softening of demand into and out of its bases in northern Italy and a reduction across its other European markets.


It also said it would be canceling some flights, particularly into and out of Italy, and that it would make cost savings across its business, without giving details.


Lufthansa subsidiary Brussels Airlines also said on Friday it would cut its flights to northern Italy by 30% from March 2 to 14 due to the virus outbreak there.


Finnair, meanwhile, warned of a “significant” fall in operating profit this year due to virus-related disruption. Reuters


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