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EasyJet has grounded its entire fleet of aircraft due to the coronavirus pandemic, the airline said.

The airline said this was done in the wake of "unprecedented" travel restrictions, while adding it was unclear when its commercial flights would resume.

EasyJet said in a statement: “As a result of the unprecedented travel restrictions imposed by governments in response to the coronavirus pandemic and the implementation of national lockdowns across many European countries, easyJet has, today, fully grounded its entire fleet of aircraft."

It added that repatriation or "rescue" flights may continue if requested, adding: “Over recent days easyJet has been helping to repatriate customers, having operated more than 650 rescue flights to date, returning home more than 45,000 customers. The last of these rescue flights were operated on Sunday March 29. We will continue to work with government bodies to operate additional rescue flights as requested."

Empty Europe during Coronavirus - In pictures 34 show all Empty Europe during Coronavirus - In pictures 1/34 The Pariser Platz in front of the Brandenburg Gate is almost empty in Berlin AP 2/34 The Arc de Triomphe in Paris is deserted Getty Images 3/34 Barcelona's cathedral, Spain AP 4/34 Duomo Square in Milan, Italy, AP 5/34 Colosseum in central Rome AFP via Getty Images 6/34 The Autobahn 12 is completely empty shortly before the German-Polish border crossing near Frankfurt AP 7/34 Closed shops following an outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Brussels, Belgium Reuters 8/34 The Malagueta beach is cordoned off in Malaga, Spain AFP via Getty Images 9/34 Vienna, Austria AP 10/34 Deserted Hotel de Ville in Paris, France Getty Images 11/34 The highway leading to Barcelona is seen empty of cars AP 12/34 City of Gdansk in Poland is virtually deserted Reuters 13/34 Ratusz Arsenal metro station visually deserted, amid coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, in Warsaw, Poland via Reuters 14/34 The Royal palace in downtown Madrid, Spain AP 15/34 St. Peter's Square, Vatican in Rome, Italy Reuters 16/34 The usually busy Larios street remains empty in Malaga AFP via Getty Images 17/34 A view of an empty square in Naples, Italy during a lockdown across all of the country, imposed to slow the outbreak of coronavirus, in Naples, Italy Reuters 18/34 Galleria Umberto in Naples, Italy Reuters 19/34 A street is almost empty in downtown Naples AP 20/34 An empty beach in Barcelona, Spain AP 21/34 Homes and an empty street are seen under partial lockdown as part of a 15-day state of emergency to combat the coronavirus outbreak in downtown Ronda, southern Spain Reuters 22/34 Restaurants remain closed on a seaside promenade in Valencia in Spain AFP via Getty Images 23/34 A deserted Westland shopping center in Brussels BELGA/AFP via Getty Images 24/34 A view of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele shopping arcade in Milan, Italy AP 25/34 An empty street in the Porta Nuova district in Milan, Itlay Reuters 26/34 An almost empty Roemerberg square, the main tourist spot in Frankfurt, Germany AP 27/34 An empty Via Condotti street in Rome, Italy Reuters 28/34 Piazza Trilussa in Rome, Italy Reuters 29/34 The Louvre Museum Getty Images 30/34 Musee du Louvre in Paris is closed to the public AFP via Getty Images 31/34 The Eiffel Tower is seen next to a board that reads: "In the context of the COVID-19 the Eiffel Tower closes Reuters 32/34 An empty Disneyland Paris PA 33/34 Old Town area visually deserted, amid coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, in Warsaw, Poland via Reuters 34/34 Old Town area is visually deserted, amid coronavirus disease (COVID-19) concerns, in Warsaw, Poland via Reuters 1/34 The Pariser Platz in front of the Brandenburg Gate is almost empty in Berlin AP 2/34 The Arc de Triomphe in Paris is deserted Getty Images 3/34 Barcelona's cathedral, Spain AP 4/34 Duomo Square in Milan, Italy, AP 5/34 Colosseum in central Rome AFP via Getty Images 6/34 The Autobahn 12 is completely empty shortly before the German-Polish border crossing near Frankfurt AP 7/34 Closed shops following an outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Brussels, Belgium Reuters 8/34 The Malagueta beach is cordoned off in Malaga, Spain AFP via Getty Images 9/34 Vienna, Austria AP 10/34 Deserted Hotel de Ville in Paris, France Getty Images 11/34 The highway leading to Barcelona is seen empty of cars AP 12/34 City of Gdansk in Poland is virtually deserted Reuters 13/34 Ratusz Arsenal metro station visually deserted, amid coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, in Warsaw, Poland via Reuters 14/34 The Royal palace in downtown Madrid, Spain AP 15/34 St. Peter's Square, Vatican in Rome, Italy Reuters 16/34 The usually busy Larios street remains empty in Malaga AFP via Getty Images 17/34 A view of an empty square in Naples, Italy during a lockdown across all of the country, imposed to slow the outbreak of coronavirus, in Naples, Italy Reuters 18/34 Galleria Umberto in Naples, Italy Reuters 19/34 A street is almost empty in downtown Naples AP 20/34 An empty beach in Barcelona, Spain AP 21/34 Homes and an empty street are seen under partial lockdown as part of a 15-day state of emergency to combat the coronavirus outbreak in downtown Ronda, southern Spain Reuters 22/34 Restaurants remain closed on a seaside promenade in Valencia in Spain AFP via Getty Images 23/34 A deserted Westland shopping center in Brussels BELGA/AFP via Getty Images 24/34 A view of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele shopping arcade in Milan, Italy AP 25/34 An empty street in the Porta Nuova district in Milan, Itlay Reuters 26/34 An almost empty Roemerberg square, the main tourist spot in Frankfurt, Germany AP 27/34 An empty Via Condotti street in Rome, Italy Reuters 28/34 Piazza Trilussa in Rome, Italy Reuters 29/34 The Louvre Museum Getty Images 30/34 Musee du Louvre in Paris is closed to the public AFP via Getty Images 31/34 The Eiffel Tower is seen next to a board that reads: "In the context of the COVID-19 the Eiffel Tower closes Reuters 32/34 An empty Disneyland Paris PA 33/34 Old Town area visually deserted, amid coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, in Warsaw, Poland via Reuters 34/34 Old Town area is visually deserted, amid coronavirus disease (COVID-19) concerns, in Warsaw, Poland via Reuters

On normality resuming, it added that this was unclear.

“At this stage there can be no certainty of the date for restarting commercial flights. We will continuously evaluate the situation based on regulations and demand, and will update the market when we have a view," the statement said.

The company has worked with union Unite to agree two-month furlough arrangements for cabin crew.

This means that crew will be paid 80 per cent of their average pay through the Government job retention scheme.

It insisted it “maintains a strong balance sheet” and revealed it is in “ongoing discussions with liquidity providers”.

As flights are grounded, cabin crew and other airline staff have been invited to volunteer at the new 4,000-bed clinic being built at the Excel centre in east London, as well as those planned in Birmingham and Manchester.

Their salaries would continue to be paid by the airlines.

Listen to today's episode of The Leader podcast:

EasyJet has written to its 9,000 UK-based staff, including 4,000 cabin crew trained in CPR to invite them to give their time to the NHS.

Multiple airlines have made sweeping cuts to their flights while some transport hubs such as London City Airport have closed down.