The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on airline ground operations

Abstract

The SARS-COV-2 pandemic changed the routines of all companies during 2020. While some had their sales boosted, most had losses, resorted to loans, cancelled contracts, fired many employees, or even needed to shut down their activities. It is unanimous to affirm that the airlines were highly affected by the pandemic due to the closure of the borders between countries to prevent the spread of the virus. Thus, this work aimed to analyze the effects of the new coronavirus pandemic on airlines, specifically on their activities and operational employees. To this end, interviews were conducted to get an overview of 12 different airlines operating in Brazil, the impacts of COVID-19 and the application of combat practices recommended by the World Health Organization were analyzed, under the eyes of specialists in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS). The results indicated the need for airlines to reduce the size of the aircraft fleet, cancel service contracts, and carry out mass layoffs. In addition, the use of masks, social distancing and staggering of shift schedules were effective to reduce risks of contagion. On the other hand, the engagement of managers and training programs was considered fundamental for the proper implementation of these actions.