Middle East airlines need state aid to survive virus crisis – Khaleej Times

Middle East airlines need state aid to survive virus crisis – Khaleej Times

Middle East airlines need state aid to survive virus crisis. A number of airlines have resorted to deep cost-cutting measures without delay.. �As coronavirus grounds airlines, plunging the industry into unprecedented crisis, Middle East carriers that have been in the red for years must urgently tap assistance from governments facing their own revenue slump.. Authorities across the region have taken draconian measures to curb the disease, closing airports and halting passenger flights, and bringing major hubs to a standstill.. The Arab Air Carriers' Organization (AACO) and the International Air Transport Association (Iata) have appealed for urgent financial aid from governments, warning that inaction will imperil the industry's future. ". The airline industry faces its gravest crisis.... AACO sees the above measures as very important for governments to adopt in order to avoid a scenario where airlines would not be able to provide the public with convenient services," it said in a statement.. It warned that without action, the post-coronavirus era will see a thinner line-up of carriers that will deprive regional passengers of the choice they enjoyed in the past.. The Iata, which represents 290 airlines worldwide, said that 2020 revenues of Middle Eastern carriers, which operate over 1,300 aircraft,