Airlines Cancel Flights and Lay Off Workers as Stocks Plummet

“Suspending travel on such a broad scale will create negative consequences across the economy,” said Alexandre de Juniac, the chief executive of the International Air Transport Association, an industry group. “Governments must recognize this and be ready to support” the industry.

According to the association, last year, about 200,000 flights carried passengers between the United States and the 26 countries targeted in Mr. Trump’s order, averaging about 550 flights carrying 125,000 travelers per day.

Over the next four weeks, the ban would affect more than 6,700 flights, in each direction, according to an analysis by OAG, an aviation data provider. Delta is the airline most affected, operating 17 percent of those flights, according to OAG. United is next, with 14 percent, followed by Lufthansa, with 13 percent. American ranked fourth, operating about 8 percent of the affected flights.

Delta said that once the ban takes effect, it would temporarily suspend flights between Paris and Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Raleigh/Durham and Salt Lake City. The airline will also freeze flights between Amsterdam and Orlando, Portland and Salt Lake City. Earlier in the week, United said it would re-evaluate its schedule on a rolling 90-day basis.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/business/economy/coronavirus-airlines-trump-europe.html