In a report this week, the CAPA Centre for Aviation said that the impact of travel restrictions due to COVID-19 would leave “most world airlines” bankrupt by the end of May this year.
Singapore Management University transport economist Terence Fan said different airlines would be impacted differently, depending on how much money they have and whether they receive government support during this time. “The question is what extent they're going to keep propping up ,” he added, noting governments may no longer provide as much as financial support to airlines as they used to.
“If you look at it from the government's perspective, it's not only the airlines that are having trouble right now,” he said. Larger airlines may still pull through this period, said Mr Waldron, though he noted this may come at the cost of layoffs and other cost-cutting measures.