No corner of the aviation industry has escaped the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the world continues to deal with the crisis, aircraft manufacturers are deploying several measures to cope with the resulting industry downturn, reports Thomas Haynes.
Historians will note that the first segment of the aviation industry to be affected by the COVID-19 outbreak was undoubtedly the airlines. Passenger numbers plummeted as individuals and big corporates alike stemmed their travel plans. Over time, this slowdown also became evident at airports.
Compared with the airlines and airports, initially it felt as if aircraft manufacturers may escape the worst of the misery. Throughout February, it seemed like business as usual at most of the big names. It was only as the situation worsened that companies started stating more publicly the effect of COVID-19 on their operations.
Boeing made no significant mention of the virus in its press statements until March 4, when the company confirmed it was reducing non-essential travel and face-to-face meetings. Five days later, an employee at the firm’s Everett, Washington, facility tested positive for COVID-19 – The Seattle Times reported that the man later succumbed to the virus. On Ma…
