Switzerland and Austria have pledged to help Lufthansa with government-backed loans as the German airline pursues discussions with Berlin on a rescue package worth over EUR 9 billion.
Strict travel controls to curb the coronavirus pandemic have taken flights around the globe to a near-halt, and there is no end in sight on when they will resume, with many airlines asking policymakers for relief packages.
This month, the International Air transport Association reported that financial losses from the coronavirus pandemic were up to $314 billion.
On Tuesday, Lufthansa’s Austrian airline, AUA, said it had applied for €767 million in state aid, a substantial portion of which would be repayable loans and the remainder in grants.
An AUA spokesman said these grants were already under discussion, and Switzerland and Austria attached conditions on their participation in the bailout.
While several airlines in Europe and the U.S. have received funding from the government, others have said they plan to operate without it.
The Panthera Post 