August 14 - A study released Thursday August 11th found New York the state most impacted by reduced air travel during the pandemic, with major drops in both scheduled flights and the number of travelers screened at airports as numbers nationwide dwindled because of the coronavirus.

 

Key Facts

1. Industry trade group Airlines For America found that in July 2020, there were 50% fewer scheduled flights nationwide compared to July 2019, along with the number of travelers screened by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

2. Months after New York was called the global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, the analysis confirmed the Empire State counted the biggest drops in both scheduled flights and travelers going through security, as screenings dropped by 86% and scheduled flights plummeted 70%.

3. April marked the lowest point for passenger numbers, clocking in at a dismal -96%, a level unseen since the 1950s before jet-powered planes became the norm, according to the trade group.

4. After New York, Hawaii was the state most hurt in terms of the number of passengers going through security screenings with an 85% drop, followed by Washington D.C. and Vermont, both with declines of 83% year-over-year.

5. New Jersey (67%), Rhode Island (61%) and Washington, D.C. and Virginia (60%) had the largest declines in scheduled flights after New York.

6. Before alarms were raised about the virus stateside in March, American airlines were flying 2.5 million passengers per day, a record-breaking figure that Airlines for America noted may not be seen again for years as the travel industry faces a rocky road to recovery.

 

Key Background

The United Nations announced last month that the coronavirus pandemic lost international tourism $320 billion in just the first five months of 2020, and U.N. experts said international travel may not return until late 2021. Airlines have been devastated by stay-at-home orders and quarantines, resulting in U.S. flight carriers warning of mass layoffs totaling tens of thousands to offset the cash companies are bleeding.

 

 

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