#INTHEAIREVERYWHERE
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#INTHEAIREVERYWHERE |
| Vol. 19 No. 38 | Friday
May 8, 2020
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Senators Hearing Airlines |
Todd Hauptli, President & CEO of American Association of Airport Executives took a deep breath and shared his future outlook for the airport business in the U.S., quoting Winston Churchill: “When you are going through hell keep going,” Mr. Hauptli said. The U.S. airlines and airports, crippled in just seven weeks since all went south, were on the menu as the Senate Committee of Science and Transportation heard a parade of aviation spokespeople at coronavirus hearings in Washington May 6. Most of the comments during the two-hour hearing included simple thanks to the U.S. government for the bailout support that has been given to the beleaguered airlines and their employees. Nicholas Calio, CEO of Airlines For America, a lobby group, said airlines will emerge post COVID-19 as “a mere shadow of their former selves. “We were moving two and a half million passengers daily and 58,000 tons of cargo prior to COVID-19 shut down and those numbers are down significantly in 2020 to levels not seen since the 1950s,”Calio advanced. “Put another way our member carriers are losing between USD$350 to USD$400 million daily,” Mr. Calio declared. The session was held in a near empty hearing room with Senators and witnesses seated apart at distances that at time looked like the event was being conducted with participants in different zip codes, a feeling that was heightened as some of the Senators questioned witnesses remotely from home by closed circuit television.  Senator Richard Blumenthal (D) Connecticut, squashed the “bed
of roses” ambience of this event, which barely mentioned air, cargo
in any context other than “and cargo”, and certainly not for
the vital great job our industry is performing right now.Senator Blumenthal raised a growing issue centered around consumer uproar questioning airline airfare refund practices for cancelled and delayed flights. “You are screwing the very taxpayers that are bailing you out,” warned Senator Blumenthal. “Getting passengers back will require trust and credibility. “Your policy on refunds, if you expect to come back here for more money from U.S. taxpayers, is killing the goose that laid the golden egg.” The back and forth lasted a couple of hours, but to the casual listener the lingering impression left was of an industry bewitched, bothered and more than a little bewildered as the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown continues. “We are playing it day by day,” Mr. Calio at one point sighed. Geoffrey |
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 Vol. 19 No. 35 Virgin Cargo has a Pizzazz Rationalizing Nationalizing Airlines Italy and India in Virus Pandemic Chuckles for April 27, 2020 |
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Publisher-Geoffrey
Arend • Managing Editor-Flossie Arend • Film Editor-Ralph Arend • Special Assignments-Sabiha Arend, Emily Arend • Advertising Sales-Judy Miller |
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