The Coronavirus impact on the aviation Industry

London Biggin Hill Airport (BQH) is introducing a contactless travel initiative to highlight what it says are the health and safety benefits of private aviation. Under the plan announced on July 2, the privately owned UK airport has published a commitment to mitigate the risk of Covid-19 infection through measures such as two-meter separation markings, minimizing personal contact between passengers and with staff, and the use of personal protective equipment.

Franco-Italian turboprop maker ATR will cut production by 50 percent and reduce its workforce by 204 positions—including 186 in France—in response to Covid 19-related business pressures, the company said Thursday. ATR delivered 67 airplanes last year and now expects to ship between 30 and 35 this year. The company said a consultation process with unions has begun with a view to reaching agreements this autumn.

To better safeguard customers and staff, charter provider VistaJet is now including RDT's Tempus IC2 health monitors aboard its entire private jet fleet. The telemedicine devices allow flight crew to measure and transmit vital clinical data and images, along with real-time voice and video, to medical assessment provider MedAire’s 24/7 ground center.

The increasing number of cases of Covid-19 in the U.S. and the developing world will likely result in a less robust airline recovery this year than that projected by the International Air Transport Association as recently as a month ago, IATA officials said Wednesday during the group’s weekly briefing on the effects of the novel coronavirus on the air transport industry.