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US Airlines Call for Gov't Efforts to Curb COVID-19 Economic Impact on Aviation Industry

© REUTERS / JASON REDMONDSeveral canceled flights are pictured on a monitor at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as airlines are reeling from a plunge in bookings and traffic, as the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic prompts travel restrictions and event cancellations around the world, in SeaTac, Washington, U.S. March 13, 2020
Several canceled flights are pictured on a monitor at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as airlines are reeling from a plunge in bookings and traffic, as the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic prompts travel restrictions and event cancellations around the world, in SeaTac, Washington, U.S. March 13, 2020 - Sputnik International
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Several airline groups, including Airlines for America, stressed that the 11 million jobs in the aviation industry are at risk due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak in the United States.

US airline trade groups have called on the government to take immediate measures in order to curb the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the aviation industry.

In a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and congressional leaders, American Airlines Group, Delta Air Lines Inc, United Airlines and other airlines, along with a coalition of major aviation unions, urge the US government to initiate immediate grants, unsecured loans, and limited tax measures in order to support the industry amid the raging COVID-19 outbreak in the United States. 

"We sincerely request the Administration and Congress work as one to act as quickly as possible to financially protect our industry and the livelihood of our employees, who are the backbone of aviation", the letter said. "The breadth and immediacy of the need to act cannot be overstated. It is urgent and unprecedented".

So far, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States has reached 11,274, with all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands having reported cases of coronavirus disease. At least 157 people have died.

Due to the outbreak, the US State Department is urging citizens to avoid all international travel.

More than 240,000 people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide, with over 9,800 fatalities, according to John Hopkins University.

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