11 June
A global airline trade organization says air carriers are expected to lose 84 billion dollars in 2020 due to a plunge in demand for air travel amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The International Air Transport Association, or IATA, released its outlook for the global air transport industry on Tuesday.
The organization estimates that the number of passengers will fall to about 2.25 billion this year, about half the number shown last year. It says revenues will fall by 50 percent from last year.
The IATA says that 2020 will go down as financially "the worst year in the history of aviation."
The IATA points out that government financial relief is crucial and calls for keeping passengers and crew safe when air travel restrictions are lifted.
NHK
