Madhu Unnikrishnan

New federal guidelines recommending masks on public transport are helpful but don't have the force of law. This continues to place the burden of enforcement on frontline employees.

Winston Churchill said when the tide began to turn in World War II, it wasn't the beginning of the end, but the end of the beginning. United CEO Scott Kirby says the airline industry is at a similar inflection point. Is he right?

United expects to remain half its size till the end of next year, when CEO Scott Kirby thinks a vaccine will be widely available. But will it be in a position to respond quickly to demand if the company is forced to lay off tens of thousands of employees?

While its competitors are struggling with the collapse in business-travel demand, JetBlue's focus on leisure travelers has been a source of (relative) strength. The airline is flouting conventional wisdom and expanding in its competitors' hubs.

Even if Congress coughs up another $10 billion in aid to airports, the future looks murky. With airlines planning to contract, it's likely that some smaller airports could lose air service altogether.

By any measure, the second quarter has been historically awful for the U.S. airline industry, and Southwest was no exception. Green shoots at the start of the quarter have been crushed as Covid-19 continues to rampage across the U.S.

There's no getting around it: The first half of 2020 has been grim for airlines. Hopes for a quick recovery have fizzled. Until the virus is contained or an effective vaccine or therapeutic is found, airlines will continue to struggle.

A travel recovery may be starting, but it may not be enough to save thousands of U.S. airline jobs. Unless Congress acts to extend payroll protections, mass layoffs could start on October 1.

It could have been worse. Delta Air Lines reported $8.6 billion in first quarter revenue, but demand fell by 95 percent in April. The second quarter could be way more ugly, even after the airline cut its schedule by 85 percent.

It will take years for the airline industry to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. That much is a given. But what shape will that recovery take and how long will it last? Skift Airline Weekly debated two scenarios — the optimistic and the pessimistic view. Where the industry goes from here depends on how long it takes for passengers to want to fly, how long the recession lasts, and how robustly governments respond.