Alexandre de Juniac, director of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), believes that global airlines will suffer at least $ 312 billion (€ 280 billion) of damage in 2020 amid the COVID-19 crisis.

His remarks came in an interview with Le Monde, TASS reported.

Asked to comment on what the association provides for overcoming the crisis, Alexandre de Juniac said there will be three of them: consultation, cooperation and harmonization of actions.

He noted that the association led by him, together with the World Health Organization and the governments of the countries, created a special group that prepares the revitalization of the air transportation sector and the introduction of those sanitary standards that will be observed on board aircraft to avoid infection of passengers.

According to him, all these measures are almost ready and will be published on June 1.

Alexandre de Juniac also noted that the association had already introduced these measures to 21 countries, in particular the US, China, and the UK. And these measures received universal support, he added.

If they are approved next Monday, it will probably be possible to start implementing them from the beginning of June, the CEO added.