Paris (AFP)
Air France-KLM estimates between 150 and 200 million euros the shortfall due to the suspension of the group's flights to China from February to April due to the spread of the Covid-19, the group announced on Thursday.
"Assuming a gradual resumption of operations from April, the estimated impact of the Covid-19 on operating profit is from -150 to -200 million euros between February and April", said detailed the group in a press release.
He said he noted "long-haul booking coefficients down between February and May" which will lead to a decline in unit revenues in the first quarter.
Many airlines, including Air France, British Airways, Air Canada, Lufthansa, American Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta have suspended their flights to mainland China since late January to try to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.
This epidemic, part of the Wuhan region (Hubei, center), has caused more than 2,000 deaths since its appearance, including eight outside mainland China, and more than 74,000 people infected.
The Air France-KLM group had initially announced on February 6 that the flights of its companies would resume gradually from March 16, "from and to Shanghai and Beijing by alternating a daily flight to each destination".
The French Air France and the Dutch KLM then envisaged a "return to the normal flight program" on March 29, as did the service to the city of Wuhan.
The global tourism sector, particularly airlines, is directly affected by the quarantine of dozens of Chinese cities and the ban on organized trips by Chinese to overseas.
© 2020 AFP