DUBAI: Middle East airlines have lost an estimated US$100mil so far due to the coronavirus outbreak and governments should help the carriers through this “difficult period”, an official of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said.
Ticket sales in the region for Middle Eastern airlines are expected to drop in coming weeks and revenues are at risk if travel restrictions in Asia are extended, IATA vice-president for Africa and the Middle East Muhammad Ali Albakri told reporters.
At this stage, global airlines stand to lose US$1.5bil this year due to the virus, he said. — Reuters
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