The plane maker didn’t gain any new orders last month and delivered only six planes — four of them 787 Dreamliners, according to data posted on its website Tuesday. The number of sales lost this year reached 516 when including an accounting adjustment that assesses the financial health of customers and contractual details of orders.

Already in crisis because of the beleaguered Max, Boeing is now attempting to counteract the wide-ranging effects from the covid-19 pandemic, such as parts shortages and plunging demand. Deliveries were disrupted when the company temporarily closed factories in Washington and South Carolina for several weeks as the illness spread among workers. Some overseas customers faced the additional hassle of quarantines for pilots who fly new jets home from the U.S.

“The outlook is increasingly negative” for Boeing as the impact from the outbreak flows through to results, analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu of Jefferies wrote in a report.

Few airlines are looking to add new aircraft when much of the global travel industry is fighting for survival. While Airbus SE also is being squeezed, the pressure is especially acute for Chicago-based Boeing, which is working with regulators to end a 14-month flying ban for the 737 Max after two fatal crashes. Buyers can typically opt out of a delivery that has been delayed for a year without facing penalties.

Customers in April canceled orders for 108 Max aircraft, Boeing’s workhorse jet and main source of revenue. Of those, 10 were scrapped by unidentified customers while 98 of the single-aisle planes were pared from orders by China Development Bank Financial Leasing and the aircraft leasing arm of General Electric Co. So far, airlines and lessors have ditched orders for 299 Max this year.

Airbus recorded 14 deliveries in April, 12 of them narrow-body jets, along with nine new sales. The Toulouse, France-based manufacturer has notched 299 orders net of cancellations this year.

Boeing has been renegotiating delivery schedules with lessors and airlines for the 737 Max as the company prepares to restart its assembly lines this month after a five-month hiatus. The plane maker has signaled that it would slowly step up production and sees delivering 450 of the aircraft built during the grounding as its top priority.

The White House and Congress have made saving small businesses a linchpin of the financial rescue, even passing a second stimulus for them late last month. But already, economists project that more than 100,000 small businesses have shut permanently since the pandemic escalated in March, according to a study by researchers at the University of Illinois, Harvard University and the University of Chicago. Their latest data suggests that at least 2% of small businesses are gone, according to a survey conducted Saturday to Monday.

The rate is higher in the restaurant industry, where 3% of restaurant operators have gone out of businesses, according to the National Restaurant Association.

Tearful, heartfelt announcements about small business closures are popping up on websites and Facebook pages. Analysts warn that this is only the beginning of the worst wave of small-business bankruptcies and closures since the Great Depression. It’s simply not possible for small businesses to survive with no income coming in for weeks followed by reopening at half capacity, many owners say.

The result probably will shift further the balance of power – and jobs – toward big businesses that have a better chance of surviving the uncertain year ahead by borrowing money or drawing on large cash reserves. Emergency actions by the Federal Reserve, backed by the Treasury, have made borrowing money almost free for large companies.

“We are going to see a level of bankruptcy activity that nobody in business has seen in their lifetime,” said James Hammond, chief executive of New Generation Research, which tracks bankruptcy trends. “This will hit everyone, but it will be harder for small businesses since they don’t have a lot of spare cash.”

While 4.2 million businesses have received emergency loans from the Small Business Administration, they constitute a fraction of the 30 million small firms in the nation. Many small-business owners say Congress’ financial rescue is not designed well to help very small businesses, known as micro firms, that have large overhead costs such as rent.

“It wouldn’t be surprising if well over 1 million of these micro firms ultimately fail,” wrote Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics in a recent note to clients, referring to firms with under 10 employees.

In the 1980s and 1990s, small businesses employed more than half of American workers, but that dynamic has shifted. By 2017, 47% of private-sector employees were at small businesses, and the pandemic appears to be reducing that again.

In April, smaller firms had substantially more layoffs than larger ones, according to payroll processor ADP, an early warning sign.

Losing small businesses often creates a ripple effect in communities, especially smaller towns where little shops and restaurants remain the lifeblood of Main Street. These business owners often depend on each other, meaning as some shutter forever, it can trigger more to follow.

“This is culturally devastating for communities,” said Patrice Frey, president of the National Main Street Center, which advocates for restoring downtown hubs. “Small businesses really help provide communities with a sense of identity and place. It’s very difficult to imagine how these business are going to be replaced easily, especially in more rural and distressed areas.”

After decades in business, places including Ricardo’s Mexican Restaurant in Las Vegas; Biba Restaurant in Sacramento, California; the Great Scott music venue in Boston; and the Tony Ciccarelli barber shop in Troy, New York, are closing forever. Many made their announcements just before May 1 rent was due.

Bridget McGinty is among those who made the gut-wrenching call on May 1 to permanently close.

For 19 years, McGinty and her sister ran Tastebuds, a popular Cleveland lunch spot. The business was on “life support” last month, she said, and she did not think it could survive the summer paying rent and making virtually no money as downtown Cleveland remains largely deserted.

“There were just too many things against us,” said McGinty, still choking up at having to say it aloud.

Congress approved more than $700 billion in relief for small businesses, mostly in the form of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and grants. The money comes from the Small Business Administration, though business owners apply for it through their bank.

Businesses that are closing permanently say that the process was too slow and that the money only covers about two months of expenses, if that, even though it will probably be months before restaurants, gyms and stores are full again.

Neil Bradley, chief policy officer at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is urging Congress to come up with a special “bridge program” to help restaurants, movie theaters, hair salons and other places that won’t be able to open at full capacity for a long time. But negotiations between Congress and the White House on the next economic relief package have stalled.

Another big complaint is that small businesses have to use about 70% of the PPP money on payroll for it to become a grant that does not have to be repaid. Congress designed the PPP program this way to help save jobs, but it is causing problems when rent or other expenses represent a larger share of a company’s obligations, compared to payroll.

“What we hear over and over again is the federal stimulus isn’t really working for the restaurant industry,” said John Barker, president of the Ohio Restaurant Association. He’s urging Congress to build in “at least some flexibility” on how and when the grant money can be used.

McGinty is an example. Her decision to close means her five employees must look for new jobs. After exhausting the $15,000 in cash she had in the bank, she did apply for a PPP loan but quickly realized it wouldn’t work well for her since her overhead costs are equal, if not more, than wages for her workers. On top of rent, restaurants have the added cost of replacing all their food since most of they had in their refrigerators in March has gone bad.

“It’s going to take so long for restaurants to come out of debt or to just break even,” McGinty said. She urged landlords to “just forgive the rent” for April and May. Otherwise it becomes an “unbearable burden in the future” that small business owners will struggle to pay later this year.

The economists who have been tracking permanent small business closures also found that 34% of small businesses said they are either paying reduced rent or delaying the payment, according to a poll conducted April 25 to 27. The researchers have been doing informal surveys of over 50,000 small business owners who subscribe to the Alignable business network. Respondents come from a variety of industries and roughly mirror government data on small-business characteristics.

As business owners debate whether to take PPP money, some are opting to reinvent their business model instead, often by doing more online and reducing staff costs.

Dave and Stacy Dockins spent the last night in April holding hands and coming to terms with one of the hardest decisions of their marriage. The couple has run the popular Yoga Project studios in the Fort Worth, Texas, area for 15 years. But on May 1, they decided to close all three of their yoga studios.

From now on, Yoga Project will be online-only – with a fraction of the former staff.

“We were afraid it would come to this. The money is just running out,” Dave Dockins said after four banks did not process his PPP loan applications. “It’s still really raw for my wife and I. This is the hardest decision we’ve ever made.”

They said closing was their only option because they could no longer afford the rent and other overhead costs. The PPP was a poor option for them because their instructors are usually contractors – 1099 workers – who are not eligible for the payroll money.

Another issue with the PPP loan is that it covers eight weeks of expenses, and the money must be used as soon as the business owner starts receiving it. That’s tough for restaurants and other businesses that are still closed or operating with a skeleton crew for takeout. They do not need all of their workers.

Some business owners say the money would be more helpful later in the summer, when they can hopefully try to bring in more customers.

“If restaurants are only allowed to open at half capacity, that is a nail in the coffin right there,” said Justin Barrett, the chef and owner of Piecemeal Pies in White River Junction, Vermont. “Consecutive rounds of PPP should be considered for small businesses until there is a vaccine.”

Piecemeal Pies is a 25-seat restaurant that specializes in British meat pies and cider. Customers used to love sitting at the counter or communal table – attractions that have become liabilities in the era of social distancing. They created “Pie Day Friday” for customers to order takeout, but it is not bringing in much revenue and does not require all nine of his workers.

Barrett got a PPP loan, but the money will be gone by mid-June.

Dave and Stacy Dockins say they are working “the hardest we’ve ever worked in our lives” as they broadcast Yoga Project sessions from their home and try to build up online membership.

McGinty’s Cleveland restaurant is not reopening, but she’s still busy: She spent the past few days donating most of her equipment and furniture to a local Catholic parish’s food pantry and community center in between calls with her landlord, bank and insurance agent.

Each business owner is trying to be nimble, but none is sleeping well at night.

Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said he decided not to submit the carrier’s recovery plan to the Cabinet on Tuesday (May 12) because the scheme lacked details.

He explained that the plan needs to explain the airline’s future plans and should also factor in the Covid-19 outbreak. He said THAI should have a final rehab plan ready as soon as possible for the Cabinet to consider.

The holding company for Advanced Info Services (AIS) and satellite operator Thaicom expects the performance of both companies to decline in the second quarter year-on-year due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Although the Covid-19 situation is likely to improve, these companies’ second-quarter performance will drop due to the economic downturn,” said Tomyantee Kongpoolsilp, Intouch Holdings’ senior vice president of portfolio management and investor relations.

“However, the performance of AIS will strengthen thanks to the 5G network, while Thaicom will grow due to the decline in impairment cost.”

She confirmed that INTUCH shareholders will get returns on their investment in the form of dividends received from subsidiaries after expense deductions, adding that Temasek’s move to sell its shares in the company had not affected the company’s performance.

She added that Intouch is focusing on attracting overseas investment from areas such as Japan, Indonesia and Israel.

“In the first quarter, we invested in three companies worth Bt100 million after the company set up an investment budget of Bt200 million per year,” she added. “The company aims to increase its investment portfolio value to Bt2.5 billion in 2022-2024 from the current level of Bt1.208 billion.”

Meanwhile Nattiya Poapongsakorn, AIS head of investor relations, expects her company’s second-quarter performance to drop to a low point after users were handed 10GB of free mobile data and 100 minutes of free calls under a pandemic-relief measure launched by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).

“This measure has taken a toll on the company’s revenue as the NBTC will not pay any compensation,” she said. “However, the company will focus on expanding the 2600MHz spectrum band to increase efficiency of services.”

The company’s revenue for the quarter was Bt1.454 billion, up 8 percent year-on-year.

Dr Wandee Khunchornyakong Juljarern, SPCG’s chairperson, said the focus this year is on revenue growth.

“SPCG has signed a memorandum of understanding on the development of solar roofs with Mitsubishi UFG Lease & Finance, PEA Encom International and Kyocera Corporation to boost the efficiency of factories in Thailand,” she said.

“Since factories use a lot of electricity, installing a solar roof will help them save costs as well as cut on the emission of carbon dioxide, which is a major cause of global warming.”

She added that SPCG was also cooperating with Kyocera Corporation, Kyudenko Corporation, Tokyo Century Corporation, Furukawa Electric and Tsuboi Corporation to develop the Ukujima Mega Solar Project, a solar farm that has a production capacity of 480 megawatts. The farm is located on Ukujima Island in Japan’s Nagasaki prefecture.

“SPCG has invested Bt2.7 billion, or 17.92 percent of the capital for the plant, which should be up and running by 2023,” she said. “The company made the first payment of Bt424 million on March 26, and will make a second payment of Bt574 million within this month.”

She added that at the annual general meeting of shareholders on May 11, SPCG had decided to offer Bt10 billion worth of corporate bonds to raise funds for further expansion.

Bundit Sapianchai, BCPG president, said the operation of several renewable energy power plants and solar energy to name a few were contributing to the company’s growth.

“The company’s revenue stood at Bt886 million, up 9.7 percent year-on-year, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation was Bt825 million, up 12.8 percent year-on-year,” he said.

“As of March 31, the company’s assets were worth Bt42.491 billion, up Bt5.354 billion or 14.4 percent quarter-on-quarter mainly due to the purchase of Nam San 3B hydroelectric power plant in Laos in February.”

He added that in the second quarter, BCPG will develop digital products and services in collaboration with state and private partners in a move to use innovation to effectively manage clean energy.

“The company is also developing technology and expanding across Asia, which is helping boost stability and letting us explore different types of renewable energy power options,” he added.

The state enterprise is studying several projects, including construction of a new terminal for Suvarnabhumi Airport at a cost of Bt42 billion. The Bt42-billion expansion project is currently being considered by the National Economic and Social Development Council.

Also in the pipeline is Phase 3 development of Don Mueang Airport. However, the design of the passenger terminal might have to be adjusted to conform with the new social distancing protocol.

The Phase 3 upgrade will cost Bt34.3 billion, which covers the construction of a third passenger terminal. The project also covers upgrades for passenger terminal 1 and cargo terminals 1 and 2.

The Covid-19 outbreak has prompted a sharp drop in demand for fuel worldwide, resulting in losses for local oil traders and refiners.

The ministry recently launched a relief measure for traders and refineries, allowing them to reduce their reserves of oil from a 21-day supply to a 15.5-day supply, starting from May 1. However, in 12 months’ time they will have to boost their supply to 18 days.

The steps taken to shore up revenue and rationalize spending are valued at about 100 billion riyals ($26.6 billion) in total, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. Overall spending for 2020 will remain close to what was planned as money saved gets re-allocated to health care and aid for businesses, Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan said in a telephone interview on Monday.

“These are the priorities: the health care of people and the livelihood of people,” Al-Jadaan said. “We want to make sure that we maintain our fiscal strength so that as the economy gets out of the lock-down, we are able to support the economy.”

Already under a strict curfew to contain the spread of coronavirus, the world’s largest oil exporter is facing a second crisis caused by the meltdown in global oil markets. The turmoil has slashed state revenue – most of which comes from crude – and is set to derail the kingdom’s fragile economic recovery since the last oil price rout in 2014. The price of Brent crude crashed by more than 50% in March, contributing to a record $27 billion monthly drop in the Saudi central bank’s net foreign assets.

The meltdown in global oil markets has had wide-ranging implications for Saudi Arabia. State oil giant Saudi Aramco is in early talks about further staggering payments for the acquisition of a controlling stake in Saudi Basic Industries Corp. as the collapse in oil prices puts pressure on its finances, according to people with knowledge of the matter. It is also weighing whether it’s possible to reduce the $69 billion price tag on the deal, one of the people said.

The government announced the new austerity measures overnight, shortly after the dawn call to prayer that marks the beginning of the daily fast for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Among the biggest moves, the country’s VAT will be increased to 15% from 5% starting July 1. The measure is likely to be controversial among citizens who were just getting used to the new tax, rolled out in 2018. It also comes at a time when many people are grappling with reduced incomes from furloughs and pay cuts as businesses struggle to survive.

Al-Jadaan said the tax increase won’t have much impact on revenue this year because people are spending less under the curfew, but it “will help more next year and the year after as we get out of the covid-19 crisis.”

Beginning in June, the government will also end a cost-of-living allowance paid to state workers. The 1000-riyal monthly allowance was granted in 2018 after complaints from citizens about the financial impact of austerity measures taken during the last oil price rout. However, the allowance was supposed to be temporary, so the government decided to cancel it, Al-Jadaan said, calling the effect “very limited.”

“What we have seen from the announced measures are the ones that the team — both economists and other experts — thought would be the least damaging to the economy and the fiscal strength of the country,” he said.

Capital spending will also be impacted as the government delays or trims some projects. Part of that is due to the inevitable impact of coronavirus-related supply chain issues and safety measures, Al-Jadaan said. He gave the example of a project to expand the holy mosque in Mecca — the epicenter of coronavirus cases in the kingdom — which the government “had to slow down significantly” to protect the health of construction workers.

Some of the kingdom’s megaprojects, which include plans to build a tourism hub on the Red Sea and an “entertainment city” outside of Riyadh, will have their timelines extended.

“It may not be as fast as it used to be, but they are continuing,” Al-Jadaan said.

Spending will also be reduced on some programs under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s “Vision 2030” economic transformation plan.

Finally, a committee was formed to study the salaries and benefits paid by a slew of new government entities that have been created outside the civil service umbrella, where employees are often paid significantly more than typical state workers. Such entities include the Vision 2030 programs. The committee was told to give its recommendations within 30 days.

“This committee is going to look at the salary scales and the benefits of these new entities and bring about more rationalization — and ensure that we don’t have excess wages or unnecessary benefits that are distorting the labor market,” he said.

Government aid to the neediest Saudis will remain, Al-Jadaan said. Shortly before the measures were announced, King Salman ordered a payment of 1.85 billion riyals to be distributed to state welfare recipients to mark the occasion of Ramadan. The payments will include 1,000 riyals for each family and 500 riyals for each dependent.

And it was a very different world for guests required to stay six feet (two meters) apart in lines, wear masks and climb aboard rides half-empty to provide the space needed to prevent possible spread of the coronavirus.

“Staff are making an effort to keep people at a distance from each other,” said Zhu Hui, a 33-year-old housewife at the park. “You see hand sanitizers everywhere and not many people.”

The reopening is one of the largest test cases yet of whether mass gatherings can take place safely amid the virus pandemic. As a marching band welcomed visitors to the Shanghai park on Monday, authorities around the world were facing rising pressure to end lockdowns and revive economies slammed by the global outbreak.

Disney is struggling to recoup earnings at its theme park and film businesses pummeled by the virus crisis, while China’s government is grappling with the challenges of incrementally reopening the country. Parks, factories and restaurants in cities and countries around the world are reopening under rules to keep customers and workers apart amid the threat of second waves and flare-ups of the virus.

To reach the gates of Shanghai Disneyland, guests had to pass through body temperature checks and show that their health status has been confirmed using a smartphone app for tracking infected persons. Masks were mandatory, despite the muggy 23 degree Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit) weather.

Yao Yao, a 37-year-old kindergarten teacher wearing a Minnie Mouse costume, arrived at 8:30 a.m. and was among people waiting for entry.

“Simply walking in the park will make me forget anything unhappy,” said Yao, who has an annual pass.

Disney said it is limiting access to the Shanghai park on Monday to a fifth of normal capacity, below the government-mandated 30%, during the initial reopening phase. Tickets for May 11 sold out in minutes, a sign consumers are prepared to spend and mingle in public as China cautiously moves beyond the virus.

New cases in the country where the pathogen first emerged have dwindled, and China has reported no deaths since April 14, according to the National Health Commission.

Visitors to the $5.5 billion theme park had relatively short waits for rides. The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train attraction, for example, had a maximum of five minutes standing in line mid-morning, according to an app that tracks waits at the park. The longest line for a ride at the time was 20 minutes, according to the app.

In the afternoon, some lines started to stretch to 30 minutes, maximum.

On a typical spring day under normal conditions, visitors might wait more than one hour for the most popular attractions.

The Disney World shop, which sells toys and T-shirts, required use of hand sanitizer to enter, and had few shoppers. Popcorn and chicken wing stands were open, though fewer than on a normal day.

Live theater shows, areas where children would come into close contact, such as water play spots, and parades have been suspended during the initial reopening to avoid raising infection risks.

“The real test will come as those capacity limits are eased and the calendar moves into what is typically the critical peak summer season,” said Ron Merriman, managing director of theme park consultants MR ProFun China. “But I am very optimistic about the park’s prospects for passing that test.”

Shanghai Disneyland was the first of the entertainment giant’s parks to close on Jan. 25 as the coronavirus began to spread from the Chinese city of Wuhan, 520 miles (840 kilometers) west of the country’s business capital.

Disney blamed the pandemic for lopping $1.4 billion off profit last quarter, largely by forcing it to shut resorts around the world. While Disney is keeping its U.S., Hong Kong and Paris parks closed, the company said last week it would open a limited number of shops and restaurants in its Disney Springs mall outside its resorts in Orlando, Florida, on May 20.

Tickets to Shanghai Disneyland during the initial reopening phase are 399 yuan ($56) for regular days, and 499 yuan for weekends.

Disney’s theme parks division contributed about 46% of operating income in the 12 months ended September 2019, more than double the earnings from its studio entertainment business, data compiled by Bloomberg show.