If winter comes, can spring be far behind? A case study on China Southern Airlines

ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the Chinese aviation industry. Specifically, China Southern Airlines (CSAIR) was chosen as a focal airline company, from which its approach and strategies in dealing with various challenges and difficulties brought by COVID-19 was investigated and analyzed. Challenges that airline companies faced during pandemic include a decline in traffic volume, operation funds shortage, and uncertain situations and difficulties in making predictions. The case starts with introducing general impact of COVID-19 on airline industry, followed by delineating regulations from the industry as prevention and control of the pandemic situation. It identifies several pathways to civil aviation industry recovery, namely group standard measures, fleet storage, domestic passengers flight operation, and transition to cargo flight. © 2022, IGI Global.