World 2.2 million USA 700K+
World fatalities 150K+
There are more signs that the airline industry is being overwhelmed by the global impact of coronavirus. Airlines everywhere have started mothballing the A380 Airbus. Meanwhile, Virgin Australia, which had financial issues long before this crisis, is facing voluntary administration. The government has offered support to Virgin and Qantas to run domestic services for the next two months. This arrangement may be extended, but the government has ruled out a total bailout for Virgin.
Boeing in the US has been in deep trouble over recent years with a host of manufacturing and technical problems with the 737 MAX and the Dreamliner. I won’t be surprised if Boeing is another coronavirus casualty.
The health and economic situation in the US is horrific beyond description with 700,000 confirmed cases which is likely to be a gross underestimate and 22 million Americans now jobless. Both figures are likely to escalate with Dump Ton Lard announcing he is lifting restrictions, exposing more and more people to the virus. This week, thousands of right wing protestors in Michigan, some carrying automatic weapons, demanded an end to the shutdown of services. Some states are sensibly ignoring Trump, but others are reopening for business. I suspect a revolution is brewing.