The European aviation sector has collapsed due to the pandemic: losses of over 56 billion euros in 2020, half of the aircraft kept on the ground and almost 200,000 jobs canceled

The net losses of airlines, airports and air navigation service providers (ANSPs) are estimated at 56.2 billion euros in 2020, following the impact of the pandemic on the aviation sector in Europe, according to a report published Monday by Eurocontrol.

The restrictions imposed by the pandemic in Europe have led to a decrease in the number of passengers by 1.70 billion in 2020, with more than half of the aircraft being detained on the ground. Last year there were five million flights, compared to 11.1 million in 2019, which resulted in annual losses of 6.1 million flights.

As a result, every part of the value chain in the aviation sector has been massively affected, financially and socially, and the number of jobs lost last year reached 191,000 in Europe.

The International Council of Airports (ICA) estimates that net losses for airports in Europe amounted to 33.6 billion euros last year.

In 2020, the losses of pan-European air navigation service providers are estimated at 4.9 billion euros, of which they can expect to recover 4.5 billion euros in the next decade from airspace users, which will have as a result of total net losses of 0.4 billion euros.

The largest low-cost airline in Europe, Ryanair, maintained its position in 2020, although it operated an average of only 951 flights a day last year, compared to 2,323 in 2019, a decline of 59%. The average decrease in flights among the top ten airlines in Europe was between 45% and 67%.

In 2020, the decrease in air traffic in European countries was between 40% and 73%, the most significant decline being in the United Kingdom (1.3 million flights, a decrease of 61%), Germany (1.2 million flights, a decline of 56%), Spain (one million flights, a decrease of 61%), France (853,000 flights, a decline of 54%) and Italy (797,000 flights, a decrease of 60%), while Romania recorded a 55% decline in 103,000 flights.

European air traffic in 2021 would recover to 51% of the level recorded in 2019, a faster recovery being expected in the summer. Eurocontrol warns that more bankruptcies in Europe’s aviation sector could take place next year, indicating the need for financial support for the entire industry.

“We are confident that the recovery will begin to become stronger in 2021 as the Covid vaccine is launched globally. However, it is clear that the entire aviation sector will continue to need financial support in the coming years. And if we really want to In 2021, to rebuild together, we need to start solving basic problems, such as how the aviation system is financed, regulated and integrated, “said Eamonn Brennan, CEO of Eurocontrol.