Europe's borders do not open until September

Despite the return of flights at the end of the year, only 80% of the fleet can be exploited.

In the most optimistic scenario, the European Union's external borders will open in September. This impasse will affect both non-member European countries and the world's largest aviation markets, the US and China. It is predicted that the civil aviation sector will not return to normality, at least before 2022, marking a drop of 40 to 50 percent.

Most airline companies have sought government assistance to cope with costs at this time of unprecedented global crisis.

One of Europe's largest airlines, Air France - KLM, lost in just two weeks of deadlock 815m euros, while executive head Ben Smith predicts recovery will take at least a few years.

We do not expect to return to 2019 levels, at least until 2022,” he says.

So far Air France - KLM, has so far received 7 billion euros from the governments of France and the Netherlands and expects another two to four billion euros, while aiming to reduce losses by saving up to 350m euros a month.

The group forecasts significant losses in April ʹJune, as 95 per cent of the fleet will remain on land, while in the third quarter, about 80 per cent of the fleet's capacity is expected to be exploited as travel gradually resumes.

As of May 11th, the arrangement for forced wearing a mask for passengers will go into effect, though some of the personnel already do so. And it has already begun to clean up and disinfect periodically to ensure passenger safety.

The main concern for the civil aviation industry is the continuing deadlock of flights to the United States making up the main market for European companies.