OREANDA-NEWS. The damage to Middle East airlines from the restrictions caused by the spread of the new coronavirus has already reached about $ 100 million, Mohammed Ali al-Bakri, vice president of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for Africa and the region, said the media.

According to al-Bakri, in the coming weeks the demand for airline tickets will fall and if restrictions on travel to Asia are extended, the profits of air carriers will be in jeopardy. In order for airlines to survive this “difficult period”, the state must help them, the deputy head of IATA said. According to his forecast, in 2020, global airlines may lose $ 1.5 billion due to coronavirus.

The spread of the new coronavirus has continued since last December, when it was first discovered in China. To prevent this, many countries, including Russia, have limited air traffic with China. Later, the measure also touched on flights to Iran and South Korea, where the number of infected people sharply increased.

On February 26, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova announced the suspension of flights with South Korea on March 1. Only two Russian air carriers, Aeroflot and Aurora, will fly to the country. Earlier, Russian airlines reduced the number of flights to China.