1) Retrenchment
Substantial cost/asset reduction
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75 news items in total |
| Short-term orientation |
All European airlines grounded their fleets more or less completely due to the imposed travel restrictions. Almost all airlines announced job cuts and/or reduced work patterns in accordance with the respective national policy schemes to maintain employment.
→ More or less all European airlines |
| Long-term orientation |
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Air France (brings forward A-380 retirement; restructure domestic network with less flights and more LCC Transavia)
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Austrian Airlines (reduce fleet by 25%, management by 30%)
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Brussels Airlines (reduce fleet by 30%)
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EasyJet (cancel aircraft orders, slim fleet)
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Helvetic Airways (stopped growth strategy)
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Lufthansa (deep cuts into future fleet, grounding A-380s probably permanently, reposition 20% smaller)
|
2) Persevering
Safeguarding status quo
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37 news items in total |
| Financial |
Most European airlines have sought government aid through grants, loans at preferred conditions/state guarantees, or subsidies.
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| Position |
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Alitalia (Italy's plan to safeguard nationalized airline as springboard for relaunch of Italian economy; continue codeshare with Delta Air Lines)
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Ryanair (committed to drive price competition after crisis)
|
3) Innovating
Strategic renewal
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16 news items in total |
| Crisis-specific |
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Austrian (reconfiguring aircraft for cargo)
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Icelandair (reconfiguring aircraft for cargo)
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Lufthansa (LH Technik offers cargo conversion)
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Sun Express (switch aircraft to freight operations)
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Swiss (reconfiguring aircraft for cargo)
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| Longer term |
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Aeroflot (plans to open Europe-Asia transfers)
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Air France-KLM (transatlantic joint-venture with Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic)
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British Airways (UK-Australia joint venture with Qatar Airways)
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IAG (remains committed to takeover of Air Europa)
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Volotea (plans 40 new routes for summer)
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Wizz Air (plans to enter new markets in Europe, increase scale of Abu Dhabi venture, intends to grow ancillary business)
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4) Exit
Discontinuation of activities
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11 news items in total |
| Failure |
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Air Italy (ceased operations)
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AtlasGlobal Airlines (filed for bankruptcy)
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Braathens (filed for court administration)
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CityJet (entered local equivalent of Chapter 11)
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Flybe (gone into administration)
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Norwegian Air Shuttle (pilot and cabin crew subsidiaries filed for bankruptcy in Denmark and Sweden)
|
| Withdrawals |
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British Airways (could pull out of LGW permanently)
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LOT (giving up bid for Condor)
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Lufthansa (close Germanwings subsidiary)
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Virgin Atlantic (exit base at LGW)
|
| 5) Resume |
9 news items in total
Airlines re-introduce flights and/or increase schedules for summer 2020 onwards, returning to (still considerably modified) flight operations at least on the continent. |
