The public health crisis caused by COVID-19 has taken the aviation industry to the brink.

ACI-NA anticipates the impact to airports will be at least $13 billion in 2020. There will be 100 million fewer passengers in the first half of the year. If public health efforts fail, this number will get drastically lower by year’s end. Half of the world’s airlines may not make it through this.

As I write this, two airlines have already folded. By the time you read this, more may have gone bankrupt. Many small airports will lose all their air service by the end of the year. Many more communities may lose their actual airports.

The piecemeal national response has been bungled at so many levels, the partial shutdown of our economy could last a year. Restarting national air service will take even longer. Regaining public trust in travel will take a remarkable effort.  

We need to keep the hammer down on federal action to stabilize the airports. Too much is at risk to the entire system if intervention isn’t taken. Consider passage of the CARES Act a good start, not the solution.

Every single weak spot in the system is now laid bare. Years of underfunding airports have left them ill prepared for the storm. Airlines frittering away record profits left them with empty wallets two weeks into the crisis. The lack of federal response proved national leaders can’t handle a crisis. 

Six million travel-related jobs will be gone by May. If proper action isn’t taken, the thousands of jobs already lost at airports will never come back. Thousands more will lose their jobs with airport consulting agencies and suppliers. And years of giving too much power to airlines could leave many local communities holding the bag with half finished airport improvement projects by year’s end.

Keep pressure on your federal officials. Make sure your community knows what’s at stake. Keep the hammer down and show everyone how your airport is the lynch pin to recovery in the community.

There’s a long road ahead for the industry and drastic change is coming. But first, the industry needs to survive.

Please stay safe out there. Your safety and the wellbeing of all your staff is paramount for all of us at Airport Business.