Belgium’s biggest airline, Lufthansa subsidiary Brussels
Airlines, said Thursday it had lost 182 million euros in the first
six months of 2020 because of the coronavirus crisis.
First-half revenues fell to 252 million euros, 63 percent below
the same period last year. Brussels Airlines transported two thirds
fewer passengers between January and June as much of the world
imposed anti-virus lockdowns.
Brussels Airlines suspended all scheduled flights from 21 March,
running only special flights to repatriate Belgian and German
citizens, transport medical equipment to Africa, and import medical
masks from China.
Commercial flying resumed on June 15 as European countries began
to ease their social and economic lockdowns, but the airline’s
network remains limited.
“Due to the still volatile and highly unpredictable situation
worldwide, it is not possible to make forecasts for 2020 as a
whole,” the company warned.
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Last month the Belgian state and the German flag-carrier
Lufthansa struck a deal to rescue its struggling partner.
A Belgian government loan of 290 million euros ($337 million)
and a capital injection of 170 million euros from Lufthansa will
cover some of the airline’s losses.
But Brussels Airlines plans to use the money for restructuring
that will see it shed around a quarter of its workforce — affecting
around 1,000 people.
Lufthansa, the leading European transport group, was itself
handed a nine billion euro bailout last month from the German
government.
-AFP
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