March 20, 2020
Just as America has met every challenge we have faced throughout our history, there is little doubt that we will prevail against the viral pandemic now turning life around the globe upside down. The bigger question is what life for Americans will look like when the coronavirus no longer dominates the headlines.
The choices our leaders make now will determine precisely how well we weather this storm after the clouds have parted.
With hundreds of flights grounded and air travel grinding to a halt, airlines will lose billions of dollars over the coming months. The inevitable result is not just lost jobs and economic output, but the cancellation of less-traveled routes and the elimination of service in dozens of airports across the country. And once we’ve moved past the current crisis, it will be difficult – if not financially impossible – for the airlines to restart these routes.
Through no fault of their own, indeed upon government mandate, travel restrictions are shutting down airlines and choking their revenue to a trickle of previous levels. This could make it impossible for airlines to pay employees, make payments on planes and airport fees, and pay for needed maintenance on their fleet. Planes grounded for an extended period of time may not be feasible to fly again under current safety standards, leading to exorbitant waste. When we have moved past the current health crisis, there will be no “restart” button to press to return air travel to its previous position if we don’t take action now.
Thankfully President Trump is prioritizing federal assistance to maintain the financial well-being of our airline industry, a move that should earn the support of every American who desires to minimize the disruption of the current global health crisis. Air travel not only contributes to more than 5% of our national GDP, but is directly and indirectly responsible for nearly 11 million jobs. Doing nothing to support this critical industry is not an acceptable response during an unprecedented crisis, and for his bold and decisive action, we thank President Trump for his unwavering and vocal support for standing up for American skies.
