MIAMI – In a press release today, Austrian Airlines (OS) states that the coronavirus crisis and a three-month standstill of flight operations have pushed its annual financial results deep into the red. OS reported a loss of €319m (US$371m) in 2020.
This contrasts with the adjusted profit of €19m (US$23m) the airline generated in 2019. Austrian endured a pandemic-related 79% decrease in the number of passengers flying. This translated to 3.1 million passengers which abruptly halted the steep growth of passenger volume the airline had enjoyed prior to the pandemic.
“Naturally, the standstill in flight operations in 2020 also led to a standstill in our accounts” explains Austrian Airlines CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech. “This crisis catapulted us from a financially stable situation to the most challenging time in the history of aviation. We would not be able to survive this crisis without loans, government aid, and support in the form of contributions made by employees, suppli
MIAMI – Austrian Airlines (OS) today announced a modest resumption of service while remaining cautious about the global pandemic’s impact on international travel.
The carrier, part of the Lufthansa Group, said it plans to add New York-JFK and Montreal (YUL) back to its lineup along with the re-start of service to Chicago, Amman, Bangkok, and Tokyo.
“With five destinations in North America and three in Asia, including Tokyo and Bangkok, our long-haul services are back on a slight climb this summer,” says Michael Trestl, the carrier’s chief commercial officer.
“Unfortunately, however, we are still a long way from reaching cruising altitude. We hope that a rapid increase in the vaccination rate and a corresponding relaxation of travel restrictions will give us a further boost in the future.”