The coronavirus pandemic that hit the world in early 2020 affected many areas of life, and travel was no exception. After experts named tourists as the main carriers of the infection, most countries closed borders and restricted visits to attractions, many airlines suspended flights, travel agencies went bankrupt, and flight attendants and pilots began to rapidly lose their jobs. About the impact of the coronavirus on employees of the aviation sector – in the material “DIP“.
Without hope
The year 2020 was considered by many representatives of the travel industry to be the worst in many decades. According to calculations by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), by the end of the fourth quarter, total losses in the industry should exceed 118 billion dollars, and the number of tourists, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), has decreased by 63 percent in the first six months since the pandemic began.
“This is a devastating and relentless crisis. Airlines cut costs by 45.8 percent, but their revenue fell by 60.9 percent. As a result, carriers will lose $66 for each customer who used their services in 2020, and the total net loss will be $118.5 billion,” said IATA Director General Oleksandr de Juniac.
In total, the global tourism community has lost an estimated $460 billion due to the restrictions imposed in the wake of COVID-19, and some countries dependent on foreign arrivals have come closer than ever before to collapse.
However, the pandemic has had a devastating impact on numbers and large corporations, but also on individual living people. In addition to killing millions, the infection has put many aviation workers out of work. So, already in the middle of 2020, numerous stories of pilots and flight attendants who had to temporarily go to work at supermarkets or gas stations in order to earn at least some money began to appear on the Internet.
In addition, some crew members found their vocation in more unexpected professions – for example, some New Zealand flight attendants turned to striptease, and their British colleagues began to provide passengers with intimate services for money or sell candid pictures on adult portals.