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Airbus Says Air Travel Rebound Will Take Time
European aviation firm Airbus said Wednesday the industry is in a grave crisis because of the coronavirus pandemic and that it will take time to restore people's confidence in air travel.
Air traffic has dropped significantly with the combination of travel bans and people opting to stay home in order to prevent the spread of the virus.
Airbus reported its first quarter results, saying it lost $522 million as it put thousands of workers on furlough and delivered 40 fewer aircraft than the same period last year.
Manufacturing is one sector that many governments are turning to when beginning to lift restrictions on businesses to put people back to work and restart halted economies.
Several German automakers have restarted production with social distancing measures in place to keep employees apart. The country has started other aspects of its emergence from lockdown, including opening stores, but starting Wednesday people are required to wear face masks to enter shops.
"We all need to take care that we don't end up with more infections," said Lothar Wieler, president of Berlin's Robert Koch Institute.
South Korea is urging people to wear masks as they travel for a long holiday weekend in order to maintain gains the country has made in stopping the spread of the virus.
Health officials reported just nine new cases in South Korea on Wednesday, bringing the country's confirmed total to 10,761.
In Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gave the latest official doubts about the Tokyo Olympics, which organizers pushed back one year after determining there was no safe way to hold the games starting in July.
"The Olympic Games must be held in a way that shows the world has won its battle against the coronavirus pandemic," Abe told parliament.
His comments came a day after the head of the Japan Medical Association said it would be difficult for Japan to host the Olympics unless there is a coronavirus vaccine available to the public.
April 29, 2020 at 06:33PM
