Aviation Daily Roundup: April 15

Welcome to Routes’ weekly look at how Europe's aviation market is responding to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, helping you understand the schedule changes and manage the impact so we can navigate through this crisis together.

The Chinese aviation industry has lost about CNY39.8 billion ($5.6 billion) over the course of the 2020 first quarter, with the airline sector taking up most of the share at CNY33.6 billion, according to an estimate by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

Vietnam Airlines will reportedly sell its 49% share in Cambodian flag-carrier Cambodia Angkor Air to stem the impact from the COVID-19 crisis that has grounded all passenger flights in Vietnam.

Delta Air Lines will operate daily, scheduled all-cargo service connecting the U.S., South Korea and China starting April 16 to transport medical supplies to healthcare workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The terms of the agreement in principle reached between 10 airlines and the U.S. Treasury Department regarding $25 billion in payroll assistance provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security Act surprised industry-watchers, many of whom had previously expected the aid to consist entirely of grants.

LATAM Cargo Group is increasing frequencies to Europe and the U.S. to mitigate the effects caused by reduced belly capacity in passenger aircraft grounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

John Langford, founder and former CEO of Aurora Flight Sciences, is launching a new venture to develop hybrid-electric regional transport aircraft.

Spirit AeroSystems—the primary supplier to Boeing including for much of the 737 MAX and which does substantial defense industry work—warned Wall Street on April 14 it will record a roughly $160 million loss for the recently ended first quarter of 2020, as well as a pretax loss of around $102 million.

Turkish Airlines has extended its suspension of international flying by a further 19 days until May 20 in line with decisions taken by the authorities in Turkey to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

The unprecedented U.S. Cares Act to provide funding for businesses affected by the COVID-19 crisis will fall well short of covering airline running costs in the country, according to the CEO of Republic Airways.

Shortage of passenger-aircraft belly space prompted a surge in mainland Chinese freighter operations in March, even as general airline activity remained depressed, figures from the Civil Aviation Administration of China showed.