U.S. Senate offers $58 billion aid to airlines as they struggle to stay airborne

U.S. Senate offers $58 billion aid to airlines as they struggle to stay airborne

Companies receiving funds cannot lay off employees before Sept. 30 or change collective bargaining agreements.. In Asian countries, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand have announced some financial relief for airlines, but this has not stopped carriers from putting staff on leave and grounding planes.. Share trading in the carrier, which said this week it was seeking extra funds, was halted on Thursday.. In bid to raise revenue and keep some planes flying, Delta Air Lines and Air New Zealand joined others in offering cargo flights and charters on passenger planes.. About half of the world's air cargo normally travels in the bellies of passenger planes, so the cancellation of passenger flights has led to a sharp reduction in cargo capacity.. Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways said it would operate 34 weekly cargo-only flights with Boeing 787 Dreamliner passenger jets to India, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia and South Korea..