Flying with a Pandemic – Krystal Rodrigues

Flying with the Pandemic 

Krystal Rodrigues

COVID-19 has taken a major toll on all industries and businesses across the world. Companies have been forced to lay-off employees or even shut down. The aviation industry is one of the many industries that were worst hit by the pandemic. The strict regulations and  sudden lockdowns imposed by governments as precautionary measures have impacted several airlines, like Qatar Airways.

Qatar Airways, an airline company that began in 1997 has quickly grown to become one of the best airlines in the world. This airline connects to over 160 destinations and has been rated a 5-star airline by Skytrax, along with being voted the “Airline of the Year” in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, and 2019. Some of their group companies include Hamad International Airport, Qatar Airways Cargo, and Qatar Duty-Free. The airline struggled in 2017, when a blockade was imposed by countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Bahrain, and many others. This blockade meant that Qatar wasn’t able to access the airspace of these countries. The airline had to then redirect routes to ensure that they wouldn’t be flying above these specific countries. This was a result of a political situation and the pandemic added more challenges. 

 Qatar’s first case of the coronavirus was reported on February 27th of 2020. In March, Qatar Airways suspended flights to Italy, a country where the number of coronavirus cases was increasing rapidly. This was done in hopes of preventing the spread of cases in Qatar. Furthermore, they started cutting down on flights. On March 17th, the government announced that only Qataris would be allowed to enter the country. This meant that the number of flights and passengers per flight decreased in an instant. Due to this setback, the company ended up laying-off employees. In addition, they cut salaries. Qatar Airways Cargo wasn’t affected until March 19th, when they put a “belly-hold” on cargo operations. The CEO, Akbar Al-Baker,  said “According to the International Air Transport Association, this year’s loss of revenue has cost airlines more than $300bn.[¹]” The negative economic impact not only led to the company losing a lot of money but also left a lot of people unemployed in the middle of a pandemic. 

The close examination of Qatar Airways has portrayed the severe effects of COVID-19 on the aviation industry. This has not only affected the yearly revenue, but also peoples jobs, which ultimately affects the economy. 

Citations :

1. Al-Baker, Abukar. “Qatar Airways CEO: Coronavirus has changed the airline industry”. Al Jazeera, 07 June 2020, https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/talktojazeera/2020/06/qatar-airways-ceo-coronavirus-changed-airline-industry-200604164708004.html . Accessed 18 July 2020.
2. “Global Aviation Industry & COVID-19 Pandemic: Deviation & Trends Analysis for Passenger Airlines, Cargo Airlines, and More (2019-2025)” . Cision, 24 April 2020, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-aviation-industry–covid-19-pandemic-deviation–trends-analysis-for-passenger-airlines-cargo-airlines-and-more-2019-2025-301046752.html . Accessed 18 July 2020.
3. Berti, Adele. “How will coronavirus change aviation in the next decade” . Airport Technology, 31 March 2020, https://www.airport-technology.com/features/impacts-of-coronavirus-on-aviation/ . Accessed 18 July 2020.
4. “News & Updates”. Qatar Airways Cargo, https://www.qrcargo.com/portalUpdates . Accessed 18 July 2020.
5. https://images.app.goo.gl/xjjDxoHVySoHwo7j9