January 29 – According to Reuters, American Airlines Group and Southwest Airlines announced their largest annual loss in history on the 28th due to the impact of the coronavirus epidemic and said they needed additional government assistance.
Air America expects aviation demand to improve in 2021 as coronavirus vaccine distribution grows wider, but the company also warns that the strength of the rebound will depend on the speed of vaccination and the relaxation of travel restrictions.
American Airlines lost a record $8.9 billion in annual losses.
Southwest Airlines, which lost $3.1 billion a year, the first annual loss since 1972, said it faced a stagnation in demand in January and February 2021 as the number of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continued to rise.
So far, the vaccination situation in the United States has been uneven.
Many countries in Europe discourage travel and adopt more travel restrictions to control the spread of the epidemic.
In December 2020, American Airlines received $15 billion in government aid to pay salaries through March 2021.
A leader of the American Aviation Union urged Congress to extend the project again on the 28th.
Doug Parker, CEO of American Airlines, said that the company would support the initiative.
