Covid-19 pandemic

Covid-19 pandemic

Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, air transport has been the hardest hit economically. Restrictions of movement within the countries and beyond the borders ensured that the airline industry suffered a tremendous blow. The coronavirus, scientifically known as the Covid-19 came abruptly and its long last effect was both uncalled for and unprecedented. Upon its onset, most countries did not only restrict movement into and out of their countries but even restricted local activities. The impact of the covid-19 left the aviation sector had hit and struggling to remain afloat. Immediately the Covid-19 came, aircraft companies grounded thousands of their fleet and declared the needs of their employees surplus to the company.

Grounding of the planes was expensive. While the companies adopted it as a precautionary and economic move, it proved detrimental for it took numerous financial resources to maintain the grounded planes. Also, the restriction of movement meant no travelling passengers, resulting in the airline companies making tremendous losses. The losses became so unbearable that some airlines like air bee became bankrupt and ran out of business. Others such as Kenya Airways while still up and running registered bulk losses that they had to seek their governments’ intervention to remain afloat.

Similarly, the hardest hit due to the Covid-19 pandemic was the airline workers. Majority of the airlines declared their employees’ position redundant and as a result laid them off. Those employees who were not laid off were forced to take unpaid leaves, and a large portion of their salaries took away by their companies. For instance, Kenya airways, starting from their CEO, had their employees take 35% cut from their wages. The covid-19 thus significantly impacted on the aviation industry.