Coronavirus-hit airports are on the brink of failure

Elsewhere in the world, they are often privately owned: The multi-billion dollar German company Fraport, for instance, owns and operates Frankfurt Airport, as well as Slovenia’s Ljubljana Airport, among others. Now, airports from New Zealand to Canada are scrabbling for public support in a bid to remain open. In the UK, where many airports are privately managed, the situation is especially dire, with Karen Dee, chief executive of the UK-based Airport Operators Association (AOA) warning last week action must come quickly: “We are clear that airports will shut down in weeks unless urgent action is taken to support the industry.”