Covid-19 shows no signs of stopping spreading around the world, causing distress to the aviation industry in many countries.
Some airlines such as United Airlines, JetBlue and Lufthansa recently announced the closure of new routes.
`Compared to last week, there are much fewer passengers flying this week. The number of flights has decreased because no one wants to fly anymore,` said Nicholas E. Calio, executive director of the American Airlines Association.
O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, USA is empty.
Covid-19 has caused stock market volatility, disrupted supply chains and forced many companies to resort to emergency response plans.
David Clark, general director of advertising company FreeWheel, flew to Kennedy International Airport in New York on the morning of March 5 after attending a meeting in Cancun, Mexico.
`It was a very strange experience. I wonder if the airlines will be able to maintain operations?` he said.
It has been 20 years since the aviation industry faced such an existential threat.
`Last weekend, we started to see a sharp decline. It felt like 9/11,` Gary Kelly, CEO of Southwest Airlines, said on March 5.
Previously, the world aviation industry was struggling with the crisis of the Boeing 737 MAX, the aircraft line had to stop operating after two terrible accidents.
But with Covid-19, the threat is much greater, as it causes many travelers to stay away from planes for long periods of time.
`In less than two months, the outlook for the aviation industry in many countries around the world is seriously worsening,` said Alexandre de Juniac, head of the International Air Transport Association.
There are many signs that the global air travel industry is increasingly stagnant.
Kristi Faulkner, president of advertising agency Womenkind, said she plans to attend Shoptalk, a retail conference in Las Vegas.
`How could they not be prepared to solve problems for passengers? The phone switchboard is always overloaded,` she said.
Dolly Meckler, a social media strategist, flew from New York to Los Angeles on March 4 after attending several meetings and visiting family.
In 2018, airlines transported more than 4.3 billion passengers, up from nearly 500 million two decades ago, according to the International Civil Aviation Authority.
`People need to be connected face-to-face,` said Ian Bremmer, founder of Eurasia Group, which advises on the impact of globalization.
If air travel continues to stagnate, all related ecosystems including restaurants, shops, taxis and hotels will be affected.
Female passenger wearing a mask at Los Angeles International Airport, California, USA on February 28.
On March 4, President Donald Trump and representatives of the business community rejected the idea of government financial support for the aviation industry.
`People want to shake hands and meet each other like before. That’s very helpful to keep all industries running,` he said.
However, the impact of Covid-19 is increasingly clear.
United Airlines said on March 4 that it will reduce international flights by 20% in April and has a similar plan for May. The airline will also reduce domestic flights.
Lufthana Group, which owns airlines such as Lufthana German Airlines, Swiss Air and Austrian Airlines, has begun cutting services by about 25%.
Southwest Airlines, which operates almost exclusively domestic flights, said sales in the first two months of the year were very good but things have changed in recent days.