Kurt Hofmann has been writing on the airline industry for 25 years. He appears frequently on Austrian, Swiss and German television and broadcasting channels to discuss issues affecting commercial aviation.
Irish ultra-LCC Ryanair is cash rich and has many assets other airlines lack to see it through the industry’s multiple crises. But like Southwest Airlines, Ryanair is an all-Boeing 737 operator, so the MAX grounding has been a particular blow to growth and financials.
Following increased government travel restrictions and massive drop in demand because of the rapidly spreading COVID-19 virus, Lufthansa subsidiary Austrian Airlines and Ryanair subsidiary Laudamotion have decided to suspend all operations from Vienna this week.