With China over the worst of Covid-19, airlines are ramping up efforts to get people back to work, and themselves back to profitability. Yet, the move provides little relief, as airlines both domestic and foreign begin stopping flights to South Korea.
The travel industry has been one of the worst hit as a result of the coronavirus outbreak in China. Just as people stopped travelling of their own free will, so too did airlines find themselves all but shut down in governmental efforts at stopping the epidemic’s spread.
Now however, the focus is on returning the country’s millions of migrant workers back to their places of labour, in order that China may see some kind of economic growth in the near future. As such, a number of Chinese carriers have started to resume at least part of their pre-crisis schedules.
Xiamen Airlines has put 1,300 flights back in the air, while Shenzhen Airlines has got more than 2,600 flights back up and running, including services to and from Chengdu, Chongqing, Mianyang, Nanchang, Xi’an and Zhengzhou, as well as other destinations.
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Elsewhere, Xinhua has reported that Hainan Airlines resumed more than 450 flights on 24 February. The carrier is now once again servicing Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hangzhou, among others.
Both Hainan Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines are also operating charter flights for government and businesses that need to bring large numbers of employees back to their work places.
Here in Nanjing, among the flights resuming at Lukou International are those to and from Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Harbin, Kunming, Nanning, Shenzhen, Xiamen and Xi’an.
None of this, however, detracts from the fact that all China’s airlines have had a very poor time of it recently.
AerCap is the world’s largest independent aircraft leasing company. The firm’s CEO, Aengus Kelly, has affirmed they remain committed to working with China. He stated that it was likely his firm would defer some rents for Chinese airlines in light of significantly decreased revenues.
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During an investor call, he said, “[The epidemic] is affecting our Chinese customers, their staff, families, and our own employees in China, and our thoughts are with those who are suffering from the impact of the coronavirus. These airlines have been our partners for decades, and they will be our partners for decades to come. We will help them where we can through this very challenging period”, reports Ch-aviation.
Airlines’ Coronavirus Focus Shifts from China to South Korea
China yesterday, 1 March, reported less than half the number of new coronavirus cases than South Korea, meaning the airline industry now has an additional headache.
Four of South Korea’s airlines are no longer flying to the Covid-19 epicentre of Daegu. Asiana Airlines and Jeju Air have both suspended their flights from Jeju to Daegu, while Korean Air has cancelled those from Jeju and Seoul and Air Busan those from Jeju and Taipei.
Just as international carriers stopped their operations to China as Covid-19 took hold, now too do they lose another slice of revenue as routes to South Korea are also being axed.
Air New Zealand will no longer fly to Seoul from March 8 until June 30, while Bamboo Airways (Vietnam) has already ceased all services to South Korea, until 28 March.
In addition, Delta Air Lines, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and Tigerair Taiwan are all now flying at a reduced frequency to their destinations in South Korea.
