One passenger flights a new normal in US

Coronavirus outbreak has severely impacted the domestic passenger traffic

The outbreak of coronavirus in US has reduced the number of passengers on the domestic flights. Even some flights are operating with just one or two passengers.  It has become a new normal in America. Even though US airlines have reduced the number of flights due to the scarcity of passengers-even then the seat occupancy has fell to lowest levels. The passenger traffic has diminished as the COVID-19 continues to spread in different American states and infecting new people.

The coronavirus spread has badly impacted the air passenger traffic globally. The airline industry has hit hard by COVID-19. Many airlines have been forced to suspend the flight operations as countries imposed restrictions on air traffic.

American airlines operate the largest domestic air traffic network in the world. Because of long distances-air travel is the viable mean of travel. It safes lot of time for regular travellers. The domestic air traffic has been affected by the lockdown. The US airlines have already grounded many planes because of thin passenger demand.   

But airlines operation is continue to provide the much needed emergency travel services to whatever passengers needed. The Trump administration has announced to financially help the struggling airlines.

 According to American news agency Reuters - American Airlines Group Inc (AAL.O) flew 119 flights out of Washington Reagan National on Friday; eight of those departures had only one passenger and many had just a handful, an American official said. On the same day last year, American operated 254 flights out of the same airport.

According to the data available on its website-the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened 129,763 travellers on Friday versus 2.48 million on the same day a year ago. US airlines, who say they are burning through cash every day, have applied for government aid meant to help them meet payroll and ensure they have trained staff available once the health crisis subsides and demand recovers.

The cabin crew continue to do their jobs, despite that the fears of contracting the virus and infecting at-risk family at home. In an effort to protect passengers and crew, airlines have scaled back beverage and snack services, increased cabin cleaning procedures and allow flight attendants to wear gloves, though they are not given masks.

                                                                      Rukhsana Manzoor Deputy Editor