Airlines turn to cargo for revenue

Delta Air Lines Inc and Air New Zealand Ltd said they would offer cargo charter services on passenger planes to boost revenue as the U.S. Senate neared a vote on a bill to give its carriers $58 billion in aid, including payroll support.

The passenger travel industry has been decimated by the coronavirus pandemic, with Australia’s Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd on Thursday announcing plans to cut 6,000 travel agent roles globally, either temporarily or permanently.

Singapore Airlines Ltd on Thursday went into a rare trading halt pending an announcement, days after it said it would ground almost its entire fleet and seek more financing as it grapples with the coronavirus pandemic.

Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd plans to permanently cut more than 1,000 jobs among the 8,000 staff that have been stood down due to cuts to its flying schedule, Chief Executive Paul Scurrah said.

“That is going to be heartbreaking for those people. This is no fault of theirs,” Scurrah told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. “This is the worst airline crisis the industry has ever seen.”

In the United States, United Airlines Holdings Inc announced further cuts to domestic capacity, meaning its overall capacity, including international, will be down by around 68% in April.

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