Airports all over the world have turned to graveyards, as airlines globally have been forced to ground the majority, if not all, of their fleets in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pictures have flown in from all corners of the globe, as airlines are being forced to line runways and taxiways of major airports with their grounded fleets, following worldwide travel bans and the ongoing economic fallout of COVID-19.
International airlines, facing the single biggest crisis seen in the history of the global aviation industry, are in dire need of financial support from governments around the globe.
However, they aren’t the only ones struggling; the sudden and powerful reduction in aviation services all over the globe has also taken its toll on airports and air traffic services.
Countries such as the US, UK, Germany and Australia have already announced packages in order to bail out their country’s national airline industries and infrastructure.
Despite this, as an industry with exorbitantly high running and maintenance costs, in conjunction with worldwide international travel bans, airlines continue to feel the hit.
To date, Boeing has asked for at least US$50 billion from the US government for itself and its suppliers, while United Airlines has warned of massive layoffs without government support.
The Australian government has already announced a package of A$715 million to support the Australian airline carriers, however, those companies have still been forced to stand down most of their workforces.
Meanwhile, in Europe, Ryanair has grounded its entire fleet and refuses to pay its outstanding debts.
The severity of the unprecedented impact on the industry in this time has forced commentators and customers alike to question what the future of aviation will look like on the other side of the pandemic.
And yet, for the foreseeable future, the industry will remain at a standstill, and planes will remain on the ground.
