Aviation Daily Roundup: March 19

The largest U.S. airlines slashed the bulk of their schedules for the next several months, forced to scale back to once-unthinkable levels by the total collapse in global air travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Qantas has revealed plans to suspend all scheduled international flights for at least two months because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The reduced operations mean two-thirds of its staff will be stood down.

The Trump Administration wants to send airlines $50 billion worth of secured loans, a far cry from the package of grants, unsecured loans and tax relief sought by Airlines for America (A4A) to blunt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thai Airways has appointed Chakkrit Parapuntakul as acting president following the Mar. 12 resignation of its former president Sumet Damrongchaitham.

Environmental groups have welcomed a decision by ICAO on eligible carbon credits under a scheme to offset emissions from aviation and believe the system is flexible enough to cope with the dramatic drop in global flights following the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.

Not long ago, the biggest concern facing commercial aviation was whether Airbus and Boeing could produce enough aircraft to keep up with demand. Industry leaders fretted about how quickly they could ramp up production and whether the supply chain could keep pace. Some airlines were equally bullish, with American Airlines CEO Doug Parker proclaiming: “I don’t think we’re ever going to lose money again.”

FAA Administrator Steve Dickson is quarantining at home following a brief encounter with a U.S. House lawmaker who later tested positive for COVID-19.

Lufthansa Group plans to make massive cuts to its over €3 billion ($3.4 billion) in planned investments this year, as the airline prepares for an extended period of no or very little demand.

The FAA said Mar. 19 that it will begin a thorough cleaning of the air traffic control (ATC) tower at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS) after a controller there “presumptively tested positive” for the COVID-19 coronavirus, causing it to temporarily close the tower.