The Coronavirus pandemic has hit many different industries very hard, the aviation industry is no exception. I am currently on a professional pilot career path so I have been immersed in this world of aviation throughout the entirety of the pandemic.

I work for Wisconsin’s largest Fixed Base Operator (FBO) which handles not only airlines, but also private charter operations. The impact that COVID-19 has had on not only our company, but also many smaller companies, is undeniable. I work first hand with multiple people that were laid off, or furloughed by airlines.

One of the airlines that went bankrupt, being Trans States Airlines, was among the hardest hit. This United regional carrier was not the only one however, many of the United States major carriers are among the hardest hit. In a recent article from Flight Global, they expect as many as 11,000 pilots to be laid off from the 1st of October, through May 2021.

With the airlines still struggling, the future is looking quite grim for these large companies, as many experts say that they do not expect the industry to fully recover for a few years. The airline stimulus aid that was brought forth at the beginning of the pandemic is set to run out in the coming weeks, and this almost certainly will guarantee more layoffs for the industries pilots and flight attendants.

While the future is very unclear for the majority of the people both in the airlines, and on their way to the airlines, the news in the coming weeks and months will has the potential to save thousands of jobs, or to alter thousands of families lives for the coming future.