Global airline stocks fall after Brussels attack

Airline stocks took a tumble this week following the Brussels terror attacks on Tuesday that included twin explosions at the city’s airport.

The bombings in the Belgian capital came three days after the flydubai crash in Russia and four months after the Paris terror attacks heightening safety concerns among travellers.

Major European airline stocks — Air France-KLM, easyJet, International Airlines Group (IAG) and Turkish Airlines — fared badly, falling more than 4 per cent immediately after Tuesday’s blasts that killed over 30.

Most had partially recovered as of 3pm UAE time on Thursday though Turkish’s losses worsened to down 5.71 per cent since Tuesday and Air France-KLM was down 5.56 per cent.

“There is always nervous reaction when the airline sector is exposed to tragedies,” John Strickland, aviation expert and director of London-based JLS Consulting, told Gulf News by email on Thursday.