Aer Lingus is to fly five of its largest aircrafts packed with health supplies from China in a daily coronavirus mercy mission for Ireland.

When Emirates, the world's largest airline by international traffic, announced on Mar 30 that it will halt all passenger flights by March 25, US leading planemaker Boeing decided to temporarily shut its assembly lines in the state of Washington. The actions by the two giants are enough to prove the enormity of shock from the coronavirus pandemic, which is virtually crawling into every corner of the global aviation industry.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) updated its analysis of the revenue impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global air transport industry. Owing to the severity of travel restrictions and the expected global recession, IATA now estimates that industry passenger revenues could plummet $252 billion or 44% below 2019's figure. This is in a scenario in which severe travel restrictions last for up to three months, followed by a gradual economic recovery later this year.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomed the support of those governments around the world that have provided financial relief to airlines and urged other governments to follow suit before more damage is done.

> Break slot rules to open more slots for freight.

The COVID-19 has spread around the world, with more than 170 countries and regions reporting confirmed cases of the virus. In such a severe situation, a number of airlines began to suspend international flights, or even cancel all flights.

Trends of COVID-19 Outbreak and Flight Completion in China

CHINA

China's three major carriers all posted sluggish operational data in February, in the wake of the global novel coronavirus epidemic, according to their statements released on Wednesday. However, the domestic air travel market is starting to pick up in March.