Virgin Australia, the country's second largest airline, today announced the suspension of payments and the voluntary appointment of court trustees due to the crisis created by the covid-19 pandemic.

 
In a statement to the Australian stock exchange, the company, with 91 devices, indicated that this decision "consists in guaranteeing the future of the Virgin Australia group and the revival after the crisis of the covid-19".

 
"Australia needs a second airline and we are determined to maintain our flights," added the company's president, Paul Scurrah, in the same note.

 
With a debt of around five billion Australian dollars (2.9 billion euros), the company had asked the Australian authorities for a loan of 1.4 billion Australian dollars to maintain operations, but the Government led by Scott Morrison refused.
 

The company is owned by several firms, including the British group, owned by British magnate Richard Branson, who holds 10% of the capital.
 

Four experts from the Deloitte auditor were appointed as administrators.
 

Virgin Australia, already in financial trouble before the covid-19 epidemic, suspended all international flights, following the Australian Government's decision to close borders to foreigners to prevent the spread of the disease.

 
About eight thousand of the ten thousand employees are technically unemployed.

 
The Australian airline industry, dominated by Qantas and Virgin Australia, benefited from a federal government aid plan worth 715 million Australian dollars, following the suspension of flights.

 
The covid-19 pandemic has already claimed more than 168,000 deaths and infected more than 2.4 million people in 193 countries and territories.
 

To combat the pandemic, governments sent 4.5 billion people home (more than half the world's population), ended non-essential trade and drastically reduced air traffic, paralyzing entire sectors of the world economy.