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<ul class="summary-list"><li>US air traffic on <keyword id="32170" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Thanksgiving">Thanksgiving</keyword> eve was the highest of any day since March, according to <keyword id="34991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="transportation">Transportation</keyword> Security Administration records.</li><li>More than 1,070,900 people passed TSA checkpoints on Wednesday, the agency found. The number was down just 40% from 2019's numbers.</li><li>Health authorities had urged Americans not to travel for the holiday, but an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-ignore-covid-19-to-have-thanksgiving-as-usual-2020-11">Insider survey found</a> that 37% of Americans said they planned to go about Thanksgiving as normal.</li></ul>US air traffic on Thanksgiving eve was the highest of any day since March, according to Transportation Security Administration records.On Wednesday, 1,070,967 people passed TSA checkpoints, <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput">according to the agency</a>.The last time that many people traveled by air was March 16, when 1,257,823 people passed TSA checkpoints. The World Health Organization <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-declares-coronavirus-pandemic-covid19-2020-3">declared the coronavirus a pandemic</a> on March 11.Some 2,624,250 people traveled through TSA checkpoints on the day before Thanksgiving last year, meaning this year's figures were a 40% decrease.The relatively high level of US <keyword id="6354691" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Air-travel">air travel</keyword> came even though multiple health authorities, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, urged Americans to avoid traveling even short distances for Thanksgiving.Regardless, an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-ignore-covid-19-to-have-thanksgiving-as-usual-2020-11">Insider survey of 1,110 people conducted November 20-21</a> found that 37% of Americans said they were not changing anything about how they planned to go about Thanksgiving this year.Thirty-one percent of respondents said they didn't factor CDC advice into their plans, and 57% said they were planning to mix households at the dinner table.<div type="image" title="thanksgiving travel 2020" height="722" width="1445" msid="79449095" hostid="261"></div>On November 19, the CDC <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-new-advice-do-not-travel-for-thanksgiving-2020-coronavirus-2020-11">recommended that Americans not travel at all for Thanksgiving</a> and said holiday meals should be done only with those who people live with or neighbors if they can dine outside.The agency also acknowledged that some people might not follow its advice, adding that those who were spending Thanksgiving with people they didn't live with should wear masks and wash their hands frequently.Dr. <keyword id="225564" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Anthony-Fauci">Anthony Fauci</keyword>, the top US infectious-disease expert, also warned on Sunday <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/thanksgiving-coronavirus-millions-travelling-despite-cdc-advice-over-covid-19-2020-11">that airports specifically would be breeding grounds</a> for the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>."You are at a crowded airport, you are lining up, not everybody is wearing masks. That puts yourself at risk … that's what's going to get us into even more trouble," he said.Wednesday — the day that saw the most flights since March — also marked the day <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-record-level-daily-covid-19-deaths-thanksgiving-2020-11">the US recorded its highest daily COVID-19 death toll since May</a>.That same day, the CDC <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-basically-stopped-talking-pandemic-despite-soaring-deaths-2020-11">predicted</a> that the US would most likely pass 300,000 deaths by December 19.As of Friday morning, more than 12.8 million people in the US had tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 260,000 people had died, according to <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html">a tracker from Johns Hopkins University</a>.

US air traffic on Thanksgiving eve was the highest it's been since the beginning of the pandemic

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="http://www.eran.com/">Eran Bendheim</a>, a photographer in New York City, took photos of the night sky from his living room window in April 2019 and April 2020.</li><li>The side-by-side photos show how <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-live-updates-latest-news">the coronavirus</a> pandemic has greatly reduced the number of planes and <keyword id="54022" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="helicopters">helicopters</keyword> above the city.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Two photos taken a year apart illustrate just how much demand for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/air-traffic-during-coronavirus-pandemic-changes-effects-around-the-world-2020-4">air travel has plummeted</a> since the start of the coronavirus.Eran Bendheim, an Israeli <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nyc-wedding-photographer-taking-photos-facetime-during-quarantine-2020-5">photographer</a> and web developer living in New York City, captured <keyword id="6385565" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="air-traffic">air traffic</keyword> in the night sky in April 2019 and again in April 2020. When placed side-by-side, the images show how air traffic has greatly reduced above the city."I shot them from my living room window facing north. We are lucky to be on the sixth floor in Chelsea, Manhattan, where we have a nice view of the Empire State Building on the right and Hudson Yards on the left," he told Business Insider.He chose April because it has some nights that are cloudless. Additionally, "there is less distortion from heat in the air, and if it is not too cold, there won't be any chimneys producing heat," he said.In 2019, Bendheim captured air traffic by accident while trying to photograph star trails, which are "the continuous paths created by stars, produced during long-exposure photos," <a href="https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/what-are-star-trails">according to EarthSky.</a><div type="image" title="The night sky in April 2019." height="1100" width="1467" msid="75726699" hostid="261"></div>Though he didn't mean to shoot the air traffic, he describes it as a "nice mistake." "The air traffic noise was an interruption that created unexpected trails in the sky," he said."The traffic you see in the year-old photo is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-a-photographers-quest-to-photograph-hundreds-of-parked-planes-2020-5">airplanes</a> heading to LaGuardia or JFK. Some of them are also police, tourist, or traffic TV helicopters <keyword id="52392" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Flying">flying</keyword> around," he said.In the photo from 2020, the lines are from star trails, with no interruptions from air traffic.<div type="image" title="The night sky in April 2020." height="1101" width="1467" msid="75726700" hostid="261"></div>"In the photo taken the same week a year later under lockdown, you're only seeing the star trails as circular even lines. The dot in the left side is the North Star," he said. <h2>The photos illustrate just how much air traffic has been affected by the coronavirus</h2><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/air-traffic-during-coronavirus-pandemic-changes-effects-around-the-world-2020-4">A previous Business Insider report</a> analyzed flight data from OAG, an aerospace data and consulting company.According to that data, during the first full week of April 2020, there were only 287,760 flights globally compared to April 2019, which saw 733,576 flights. That means the total number of flights fell 60.8% year-over-year.In North America, there were 102,319 flights in the first week of April 2020, compared to 204,297 flights in April 2019, meaning that the total number of flights fell about 50% year-over-year, according to the report.<ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/us-will-temporarily-shrink-operating-hours-at-100-air-traffic-towers-2020-4">US will temporarily shrink operating hours at 100 air traffic towers</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/air-traffic-during-coronavirus-pandemic-changes-effects-around-the-world-2020-4">Coronavirus demolished air travel around the globe. These 14 charts show how empty the skies are right now.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-ceo-airline-collapse-coronavirus-2020-5">Boeing's CEO says a major US airline could collapse this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic</a></li></ul>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-year-apart-show-pandemics-effect-on-air-traffic-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

Photos of the New York City night sky taken one year apart illustrate how the coronavirus pandemic has affected air traffic

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A Federal Aviation Administration technician assigned to the John F. Kennedy International Airport air-traffic control tower has tested positive for COVID-19.</li><li>Air-traffic controllers moved to a temporary facility at the airport as the FAA closed the tower for cleaning.</li><li>JFK was the latest in a series of airports affected by FAA technicians testing positive forcing the temporary closure of air-traffic control towers across the country. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily closed the air-traffic control tower at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York after a technician tested positive for COVID-19, according to a <a href="https://twitter.com/FAANews/status/1240998059527606273">statement</a> issued on Friday. The main control tower has since reopened.Arrivals and departures were not affected as New York's primary gateway remained open with air-traffic controllers moving to a secondary location on the airport property to continue facilitating flight operations.The airport, designated as one of 13 approved entry points by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is the latest in a string of airports to be affected by air-traffic control tower closures. Positive cases of the novel coronavirus temporarily halted traffic at Chicago's Midway Airport and Las Vegas' McCarran Airport earlier in the week, causing flight delays across the country. The affected technician hadn't visited the tower since March 16, during which the FAA said he stayed briefly and didn't visit the tower cab where air-traffic controllers talk directly with aircraft. Despite limited contact with the critical areas of the tower, the FAA was cleaning the entire facility to protect its employees. JFK's control tower is located directly above Terminal 4, the shared-use international arrivals building primarily occupied by Delta Air Lines. In addition to the control tower, the facility features office space and a ramp tower on a lower level which coordinates the movement of aircraft that are parking at Terminal 4. The FAA implemented a ground delay program early Friday morning in an attempt to limit the number of flights at the airport as technicians moved from the control tower to their temporary facilities. The program was lifted later in the morning with the airport no longer reporting any delays or FAA-mandated ground stops. FAA technicians assigned to JFK are not only responsible for facilitating arrivals and departures into JFK Airport but also controlling a ring of airspace that extends into Queens, Brooklyn, and Nassau County. Nearby LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport are not affected by the temporary closure.

JFK airport's air-traffic control tower closed temporarily after an FAA technician tested positive for the coronavirus

11 air traffic control centers have been temporarily closed after workers tested positive for coronavirus, highlighting a vulnerability in air travel

Mumbai, Apr 6 () Domestic air traffic is expected to drop to 80-90 million passengers in the current fiscal and delivery of more than 200 planes to Indian carriers are likely to be deferred by up to two years, according to a report."The combination of COVID-related travel restrictions and an economic downturn is likely to result in 1Q FY2021 being a virtual washout for the Indian industry."The second quarter is historically the weakest period for demand and hence airlines are only likely to limp back into recovery," aviation consultancy CAPA India said on Monday.As a result, CAPA said the majority of the fleet is likely to be surplus to requirement during the first half of the current financial year.In its report titled 'COVID-19 &amp; the State of Indian Aviation Industry,' the aviation consultancy forecast domestic traffic to decline to around 80-90 million this fiscal from an estimated 140 million in FY2020.International traffic is expected to fall from approximately 70 million in the previous financial year to 35-40 million passengers or may be even less in the current fiscal.While giving the forecast, CAPA India said it is initial estimate and would be continually revised.Domestic and international flights have been suspended till April 15 amid nationwide lockdown to curb spreading of coronavirus infections.A gradual path towards normalcy could be expected towards Q3 and Q4, CAPA India said.According to the report, airlines that are offered concessions by lessors would need to take a strategic call on whether they require all of their aircraft.The holding costs of maintaining a larger fleet may outweigh the concession available.More than 200 aircraft -- scheduled for delivery over the next couple of years, including 56 MAX aircraft -- are likely to be deferred by 1-2 years, it said."Starting from the end of April-2020, Indian carriers are initially expected to seek to return up to 100 aircraft to lessors, especially older equipment and those that may be closer to the expiry of their terms."The number of returned aircraft will continue to increase significantly up until September-2020, possibly reaching 200-250, or even higher," the report said.Since aircraft lessors would have limited customers to whom they can remarket returned aircraft, they may be willing to negotiate temporary rental holidays, CAPA India said. IAS RAM BALBAL

India's domestic air traffic to fall to 90 mn this fiscal: Report

<ul class="summary-list"><li>New York's Hopscotch Air is an <keyword id="610192" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="air-taxi">air taxi</keyword> firm that seeks to offer a cost-efficient alternative to aircraft charter with piston-powered aircraft.</li><li>CEO Andrew Schmertz has been using the downturn as a way to reimagine his operation and how air taxis can be used to fill the void left by regional <keyword id="44023" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="airlines">airlines</keyword>.</li><li>New travel trends show the wealthy <keyword id="52392" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Flying">flying</keyword> more infrequently but also using the air taxis on longer routes as airlines become unreliable. </li></ul>Hopscotch Air isn't your typical airline.Andrew Schmertz started the air taxi firm in 2009 armed with a fleet of piston-powered Cirrus SR-20/22 series aircraft. The air taxi concept sought to make regional travel easier at a fraction of the cost for a private aircraft charter thanks to the cheaper economics of the aircraft compared to larger competitors. Unlike the futuristic urban air mobility concepts where flying taxis depart from skyscraper rooftops, Hopscotch Air serves all of the New York metro region's executive airports including Republic Airport on Long Island, Westchester County Airport, and Teterboro Airport. Its aircraft fly the wealthy between the big city and leisure destinations across the Northeast and beyond.The success of the operation prompted Schmertz to launch a membership division in 2019 where flyers pay $325 each month and receive special pricing and other perks. But the pandemic hasn't given Schmertz the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/private-jet-firms-buying-new-planes-hiring-pilots-during-downturn-2020-8">uptick in business from which his larger competitors have been benefiting</a>.New pandemic travel trends are seeing the wealthy head to the second homes and stay put instead of commuting back and forth on the weekends, resulting in fewer flights for Hopscotch and prompting Schmertz to reimagine air taxi travel.Here's how the pandemic is reshaping Hopscotch Air's air taxi operation. <h2>Expanding the bounds of regional travel</h2><div type="image" title="Cirrus SR-20 Hopscotch Air" height="1875" width="2500" msid="78322043" hostid="261"></div>Private aviation has benefitted from the wealthy's desire to avoid the airlines and flyers are focused more on health and safety than any other topic when booking travel, according to Schmertz. Throughout the summer, the fear of commercial flight has given his aircraft the opportunity to fly longer and more lucrative routes. The typical routes for Hopscotch Air during the summer are between New York and the Hamptons, Montauk, Cape Cod, and the Massachusetts islands while the winter might see flights between New York and Vermont. They're all short flights that are less than two hours in duration.Customers more recently, however, have been pushing the limits of the aircraft by using them for longer flights. Schmertz reported that his pilots have flown customers as far as Chicago and North Carolina, destinations over three hours away when using the Cirrus aircraft compared to around two hours on an airliner. The range of Hopscotch Air's current aircraft enable flights of up to around 800 miles, with cities like Chicago, Nashville, and Savannah at the top end of their non-stop range. Flights on a single-engine piston aircraft will take longer than an airliner but all the benefits of flying private such as using a private terminal and controlling the passenger manifest are available.The Cirrus aircraft can also access smaller airports than some private jets. Commercial airlines serve around 500 airports in the US out of the nearly 5,000 public airports while the Cirrus <keyword id="6367788" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="planes">planes</keyword>, according to Schmertz, can access "nearly all of them."<h2>Taking over for the regional airlines</h2><div type="image" title="Social Distancing on American and Delta" height="1732" width="2309" msid="78322046" hostid="261"></div>Airlines are showing symptoms of a reliability and connectivity problem as cancellations and schedule changes are becoming common when flying. With still less than <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput">1 million daily travelers</a>, some flights are departing with only a handful of passengers with airlines wanting to consolidate as much as possible to prevent money losers. In a recent interview with <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2020-08-13/jetblue-ceo-says-day-of-reckoning-is-near-for-airlines-video">Bloomberg</a>, JetBlue Airways' CEO Robin Hayes said flights will be evaluated only three to four days in advance before the decision is made whether or not to cancel, as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flying-jetblue-airways-during-the-pandemic-review-photos-details-2020-8">Business Insider found out on a recent flight to Chicago</a>, leaving some passengers wary of booking airline tickets.Route cuts are also becoming common with the major airlines leaving some US cities without air connectivity entirely. Delta Air Lines in June <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/delta-will-stop-flying-to-11-us-cities-list-2020-6">moved to end service to 11 cities</a> across the country while American Airlines will <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-suspending-service-to-15-us-cities-full-list-2020-8">stop flying to 15 cities</a>, most of which are remote cities served by regional carriers. Hopscotch Air wants to fill in the gaps left by the regionals in what Schmertz calls "right-sizing" the market. Instead of large regional jets, Schmertz will use smaller planes commensurate with the demand such as the Cirrus SR-20/22 series and the Quest Kodiak. Airlines like Cape Air and Boutique Air currently fly to communities without much commercial traffic but the opportunity presented with the smaller aircraft used by Hopscotch can make the services more affordable while connecting the region. <h2>The future of air taxi</h2><div type="image" title="Transcend Air" height="1125" width="1500" msid="78322048" hostid="261"></div>Limiting Hopscotch's growth is its aircraft's dependence on runways, which put the Cirrus aircraft at a disadvantage when competing against helicopters that can use any of the three heliports that Manhattan has to offer. That's why Schmertz is looking towards electric vertical take-off and land or eVTOL aircraft to power the air taxis of the future. Working with Transcend Air – <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/transcend-air-vtol-airline-nyc-boston-in-36-minutes-for-2020-4">an eVTOL company looking to start flights between New York and Boston for less than $300 each way</a> – Schmertz hopes that those aircraft can help get Hopscotch closer into the metropolitan areas where it can compete with the likes of Blade and other helicopter and seaplane operators.For more traditional routes, Schmertz also hopes that the technology to power electric aircraft will enable further flights on larger aircraft, pointing to recent examples of battery-powered flight. Washington's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/magnix-all-electric-cessna-grand-caravan-takes-first-flight-2020-6">MagniX in May flew a Cessna Caravan entirely on battery power</a>, though a viable aircraft that can carry passengers long distances is still years away."We think that's where the business model is going all because we're not going to fix the two major problems – the pain points – which are the roads and the trains," Schmertz said, highlighting the US' lack of progress on fixing road and rail infrastructure.

The CEO of air taxi firm Hopscotch Air sees the pandemic as an opportunity to replace airlines as they abandon regional routes – here's how he plans to do it

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/united-airlines">United Airlines</a> plans to relaunch international service on more than 25 international routes in September.</li><li>Though travel bans and restrictions on American travelers stemming from the pandemic have sharply curtailed international travel demand, United expects strong cargo demand on the routes, along with essential travelers.</li><li>United, along with other <keyword id="44023" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="airlines">airlines</keyword>, has struggled to cut costs and find revenue as the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/coronavirus">COVID-19</a> pandemic wreaks havoc on the industry. United said this week <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/united-airlines-pilots-furlough-coronavirus-2020-7">it may furlough 3,900 pilots</a>.</li></ul><keyword id="137254" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="United-Airlines">United Airlines</keyword> will relaunch service on more than 25 international routes in September, along with a number of domestic flights, the carrier said Friday.The newly relaunched routes include flights to Europe, Asia, India, Australia, Israel, and Latin America from the airline's hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.Even if travelers want to hop aboard, though, they may not be able to. Many of the listed destinations are in countries or regions with restrictions, quarantine requirements, or outright prohibitions on most American travelers, as <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> cases continue to spike throughout the US with little sign of relenting. Most Americans are not allowed to visit European Union countries, while Australia has strict limits on entry to the country.Instead of conventional travel, the airline will rely on robust demand for international <keyword id="233793" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="air-cargo">air cargo</keyword> to support the routes. A United spokesperson said that the routes in question are backed by strong cargo performance in those markets. The airline also expects some traffic from those exempted from the full restrictions, such as diplomatic and medical professionals, expats living or stranded abroad, and foreign nationals living in the US.Even with the relaunched routes, in September United will fly just 30% of its international schedule, compared to the same month in 2019. It plans to fly 25% of its August schedule, compared to last year.United's international destinations include several locations in Mexico and Costa Rica, as well as Tel Aviv, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Munich, Delhi, Mumbai, Sydney, and Hong Kong.The airline said it will also add 40 daily flights on nearly 50 domestic routes — the airline will fly 40% of its 2019 domestic schedule. And it will resume service between the continental US and Kilo and Kauai in Hawaii, and increase flying to Honolulu, Kona, and Maui. (Hawaii imposes a mandatory 14-day quarantine on all arriving passengers. Beginning September 1, travelers can get show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure to avoid the quarantine.)United and other airlines in the US and globally have struggled to cut costs and grow revenue as the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> pandemic has decimated travel demand. Despite a modest recovery in domestic travel demand in May and June, spikes in cases and new travel restrictions have led travel to decline again.United said earlier this week that it <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/united-airlines-pilots-furlough-coronavirus-2020-7">could furlough up to 3,900 pilots due to the low demand</a>, or roughly one-third of its pilots.

United will relaunch more than 25 international routes in September, even though Americans are still banned from many destinations

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="91747" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Transportation-Security-Administration">Transportation Security Administration</keyword> screened 1,284,599 people in airports nationwide on Sunday, according to spokesperson Lisa Farbstein, the most since the <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> pandemic's start.</li><li>Sunday was also the sixth day in the last 10 that the <keyword id="62795" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="TSA">TSA</keyword> screened more than 1 million travelers. </li><li>More than 63,000 Americans died of COVID-19 in December, making it the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/27/health/us-coronavirus-sunday/index.html">deadliest month</a> of the pandemic. </li><li>Anthony Fauci <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-warns-post-seasonal-surge-of-coronavirus-cases-2020-12">said</a> the pandemic "might actually get worse" over the next few weeks due to high <keyword id="1601323" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="holiday-travel">holiday travel</keyword>.</li></ul>The <keyword id="34991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="transportation">Transportation</keyword> Security Administration screened nearly 1.3 million people the Sunday after Christmas. The TSA said the agency screened 1,284,599 people in airports nationwide, the highest number of passengers since the pandemic hit, on Sunday, December 27. Sunday was also the sixth day in the last 10 that the TSA screened more than one million travelers. "If you choose to <keyword id="6354692" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword>, please wear a mask," TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/TSA_Northeast/status/1343540797229170693">tweet</a> Monday morning.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-cloud-exec-retailers-peak-traffic-2020-12?r=aa-sub">A Google Cloud retail exec explains how the pandemic helped the company prepare for peak holiday traffic as it nabs retail customers to take on Amazon and Microsoft</a>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-postpone-holiday-travel-or-else-get-2-tests-2020-12">recommended</a> Americans stay home this holiday season to slow the spread of COVID-19. More than 63,000 Americans died of COVID-19 in December, making it the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/27/health/us-coronavirus-sunday/index.html">deadliest month</a> of the pandemic. A record 120,151 Americans were currently hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Christmas Eve, per data from the <a href="https://covidtracking.com/">COVID Tracking Project</a>. The CDC <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#cases_casesper100klast7days">said</a> the US has recorded nearly 19 million total cases as of December 28.The busy holiday travel season could heighten the COVID-19 spread and overwhelm hospitals. Healthcare workers said they expect the surge to get worse following Christmas and New Year's, which many say will lead to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nurses-say-christmas-holiday-will-fuel-covid-rise-burnout-2020-12">increased burnout</a>. Anthony Fauci <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-warns-post-seasonal-surge-of-coronavirus-cases-2020-12">said</a> the pandemic "might actually get worse" over the next few weeks due to high holiday travel.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-vaccine-cargo-airline-logistics-winners-losers-2020-11?r=aa-sub">6 cargo airlines and freight operators poised to win big as Moderna follows Pfizer toward FDA approval for its COVID-19 vaccine</a>California is already experiencing the consequences of an uncontrolled outbreak. The state enacted a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-enters-most-restrictive-covid-19-lockdown-hospitalizations-soar-2020-12">stay-at-home order</a> this month in some areas after reaching high intensive care capacity. Southern California reported <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-12-17/southern-california-out-of-icu-beds-amid-covid-19-surge">0% available ICU beds</a> prior to Christmas, forcing some hospitals to put gurneys in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/25/us/southern-california-hospitals-covid.html">gift shops</a>.Vaccines can offer protection, and the CDC <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/1-million-covid-19-vaccines-administered-in-us-2020-12">said</a> the US inoculated 1 million people so far. But a majority of Americans must get vaccinated before the country reaches <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-up-to-90-population-needs-vaccine-for-herd-immunity-2020-12">herd immunity</a>, Fauci said, and researchers at the University of Washington said <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-19-deaths-in-the-us-could-double-april-ihme-2020-12">masks</a> will prevent more COVID-19 deaths than vaccines before April.

The TSA said it screened nearly 1.3 million travelers on Sunday, the most since the beginning of the pandemic

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Millions of people in China remain on lockdown as the nation tries to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.</li><li>The resulting factory closures and fall in motor traffic has meant a sustained drop in noxious nitrogen dioxide, NASA stated on Saturday.</li><li>There's often a decline in air pollution in parts of China around this time thanks to Lunar New Year. But NASA said this year there was more of a decrease than usual.</li><li>Fei Liu, an air quality researcher at NASA, said: "This is the first time I have seen such a dramatic drop-off over such a wide area for a specific event."</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>China's lockdown in order to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus has had one unexpected side-effect - a sustained drop in air pollution.NASA stated on Saturday that it had seen "significant decreases" in noxious nitrogen dioxide over China through February. Nitrogen dioxide is emitted by burning fuel, cars, power plants, and construction machinery, and it can aggravate respiratory symptoms and asthma, among other negative effects.China's cities rank among the most polluted in the world, with Hotan and Kashgar in the top 20 <a href="https://www.iqair.com/world-most-polluted-cities">according to an IQAir report</a>.NASA published satellite imagery on Saturday, which you can see above, showing nitrogen dioxide levels in China before and after the country began imposing lockdowns on 23 January.It also showed drastic declines in pollutants around Wuhan, which has appeared to be the source of the outbreak and was the first city to be quarantined.The data came from the European Space Agency's Sentinel-5 satellite, and similar data came from NASA's Aura satellite.Fei Liu, an air quality researcher at NASA, said, "This is the first time I have seen such a dramatic drop-off over such a wide area for a specific event."There is often a pollution dropoff in China around specific celebrations and events. Factories and other businesses close for the Lunar New Year in late January and early February, leading to a decline in air pollution. Other major events, such as the Beijing Olympics, can also result in a drop but air pollution rates quickly spike back up.NASA stated the decline this year was bigger than usual."This year, the reduction rate is more significant than in past years and it has lasted longer," Liu said. "I am not surprised because many cities nationwide have taken measures to minimize spread of the virus."Researchers said nitrogen dioxide rates were on average 30% lower than usual, compared to an average of 10% lower during the same periods between 2005 and 2019. They added there hasn't been the usual rebound after the Lunar New Year.In <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-coronavirus-has-temporarily-reduced-chinas-co2-emissions-by-a-quarter">an analysis published in February</a>, CarbonBrief estimated that the coronavirus had cut China's carbon emissions by 25%.China is by far the most impacted by the coronavirus outbreak, with nearly 79,986 cases and more than 2,873 deaths. Globally, there are some<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-wuhan-virus-map-cities-countries-spread-infected-2020-1">86,927 cases and nearly 3,000 deaths across more than 56 countries</a>.

China's air pollution dropped dramatically after coronavirus lockdown

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="137254" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="United-Airlines">United Airlines</keyword> said Thursday that it's seeing an increase in flight cancellations and a slowdown in new flight bookings ahead of the holiday season. </li><li>The cancellations come at a time when COVID-19 cases are soaring across the United States. </li><li>United said revenues are expected to be down by approximately 67% for the fourth quarter compared to last year. </li></ul>United Airlines said Thursday that it's seeing an uptick in flight cancellations and a slowdown in new flight bookings <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html">as coronavirus cases continue to reach</a> record highs in the United States.For the week ending Monday, the carrier <a href="https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/100517/000010051720000059/ual-20201119.htm">said</a> "there has been a deceleration in system bookings and an uptick in cancellations," and reiterated that it does not expect reservations to recover in a "linear path."Overall revenues are expected to be down by approximately 67% for the fourth quarter compared to last year, United warned. That's in-line with what company executives projected in October when the airline reported an 84% drop in passenger revenue."The next 12 to 15 months are still going to be difficult, and the recovery will not be a straight line," CEO Scott Kirby said on an October 15 conference call. "But we've done what we believe it takes to get through. We can see the recovery on the horizon, and our attention can now be firmly focused there."Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-debt-coronavirus-pandemic-strategy-competition-2020-10?r=gr-sub">American will lose its crown as the biggest US airline and could fall behind Delta and United as it struggles to pay off $38 billion in debt</a>For the quarter ended September 30, United <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/united-airlines-loses-billions-burns-through-25-million-a-day-2020-10">reported a total loss of $2.4 billion</a>, as overall airline traffic remains significantly muted. In the past week, the <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput">number of passengers screened</a> by the <keyword id="34991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="transportation">Transportation</keyword> Security Administration has averaged 787,000, or about 36% of 2019 levels for the same time period.And as the <keyword id="32170" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Thanksgiving">Thanksgiving</keyword> holiday approaches, traditionally the busiest travel week of the year, COVID-19 cases could surge even further. An estimated 50 million Americans are expected to travel by some method,<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/11/18/935904942/thanksgiving-day-dilemma-should-you-travel-or-stay-home"> AAA estimates</a>, down about 10 million from usual figures.Officials in <a href="https://www.syracuse.com/coronavirus/2020/11/cuomo-on-thanksgiving-dinner-with-family-its-wrong.html">several</a> <a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-family-gatherings-coronavirus-pandemic-thanksgiving-holidays-3c759ab924a0d9de27803527ddf36c1c">states</a> have <a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-family-gatherings-coronavirus-pandemic-thanksgiving-holidays-3c759ab924a0d9de27803527ddf36c1c">urged</a> people to host smaller gatherings or to go completely virtual, in order to avoid spreading the virus to family members or across state lines.

United says more people are canceling flights as COVID-19 cases soar ahead of the Thanksgiving travel rush

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/europe-travel-ban-americans-coronavirus-2020-6">European Union is said to be planning to bar American travelers</a> because of the large numbers of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/coronavirus">coronavirus</a> cases in the US.</li><li>The travel restrictions, which could be the first of many as countries begin to emerge from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/covid-19">COVID-19</a> lockdowns, would reportedly be reevaluated every two weeks.</li><li>While US <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/airlines">airlines</a> are seeing a small <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-july-domestic-admirals-club-lounges-interview-2020-6">improvement in domestic travel demand</a>, additional delays for international travel would compound troubles for some of the nation's biggest <keyword id="44023" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="airlines">airlines</keyword>.</li></ul>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/europe-travel-ban-americans-coronavirus-2020-6">European Union's reported plans to bar American travelers</a> would certainly come as a disappointment to quarantine-weary globetrotters looking to get back out into the world.The plans are expected to be announced next week and reviewed every two weeks after that. For some US airlines, the ban could portend a slower, more painful slog as they try to recover from their pandemic woes.With much of the world still in the early phases of reopening from lockdowns, the most robust travel activity is happening domestically in the US. Despite a resurgence of the virus in parts of the country, that stateside demand has come from leisure travelers and people looking to visit friends and relatives after months spent quarantining apart.For some airlines, this has been easy to capitalize on.Southwest, for example, is primarily a domestic airline, and its few international destinations are largely within the greater region, such as Central America or Mexico.<keyword id="1702946" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Allegiant-Air">Allegiant Air</keyword>, similarly, flies mostly within the US. It operates with a point-to-point model, eschewing hubs, which allows it to adjust quickly as demand pops up in new places during the recovery — or as demand drops for certain areas because of spikes in cases.For the so-called big three — American, Delta, and United — the situation is bleaker.The airlines all operate substantial domestic networks and have been adjusting their plans and business models to focus on maximizing those.Those airlines are still largely reliant on revenue from international flying, however, and often use those domestic networks to feed into international hubs."The domestic and international businesses have diverged meaningfully," Vasu Raja, who heads network and route planning for American, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-july-domestic-admirals-club-lounges-interview-2020-6">said in an earlier interview with Business Insider</a>. "Though we're increasingly more optimistic about the sustainability of domestic, international looks like a much different proposition.""While we're still early in our planning, we are planning for a much different and much more reimagined international network for <keyword id="88011" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="american-airlines">American Airlines</keyword>," he said.Based on rising domestic demand, American plans to operate 55% of its domestic capacity in July, compared with the same month in 2019. In April, the airline flew about 20% of its domestic capacity, and in May it flew about 25%, according to Raja.However, American expects to fly only 20% of its international capacity, and load factors are expected to be low.While the airlines can certainly continue to court domestic flyers, a true recovery would be impossible without international travel.One reason is that airlines see their highest margins of any ticket type with premium-cabin seats on international flights. Ticket sales in premium cabins like business class on international flights offer significantly higher returns than economy seats, whether domestic or international.Additionally, upsells and other ancillary fees generate significant revenue for airlines, and more opportunities exist on the longer international flights, which are usually flown with bigger planes. For instance, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/delta-2019-performance-insights-us-airlines-2020-1">Delta earned $15 billion</a> for premium products and upgrades in 2019, while the big three made almost $3.4 billion in checked-bag fees in 2019, according to the Bureau of <keyword id="34991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="transportation">Transportation</keyword> Statistics.Business travel is crucial for the bigger airlines. Even though business travelers make up just 15% to 20% of the airlines' traffic, they account for about half of their revenue, analysts say.A major reason is that people traveling on the company dime tend to be less sensitive to price than leisure travelers. They'll often buy tickets closer to the travel date, when fares go up, if an in-person meeting or appearance is essential.Unlike the relative handful of wealthy leisure travelers and honeymooners splurging on a special treat, most business-class passengers are business travelers, whose companies are willing to pay for them to be more comfortable and better rested after a flight. It's an effort to keep worker productivity high.So far, corporate travel has not begun to meaningfully return, and is not expected to for some time, according to Andrew Didora, an airline analyst with Bank of America, in a recent research note.Business travel has been slow to return in China, which entered lockdown about two months ahead of the US and is much further along in its recovery.Additionally, concerns about exposure or liability are likely to continue holding back business travel until there's a vaccine for <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword>. Even a partial return is unlikely before offices fully reopen, Didora wrote.To all this, the possibility of additional travel bans, or an escalating tit-for-tat between countries, has industry insiders concerned."The public health is still the number one concern around the world right now," Tori Emerson Barnes, the executive vice president of public affairs and policy for the trade group US Travel, told Business Insider in an emailed statement. "But bans like these have a tendency to devolve into cycles of political retaliation, which is the last thing the global economy needs as we're trying to start a recovery."Representatives for American, Delta, and United referred to Airlines for America, an industry trade and lobbying group representing most major airlines, for comment.In a statement, a representative for the trade group stressed that carriers were eager to return to their normal schedules."The US airline industry is anxious to resume service to Europe and internationally at large," Katherine Estep, a representative for the group, said in an emailed statement. "We will continue to work with governments globally to restore service in a manner that prioritizes the wellbeing of our passengers and employees."Experts have predicted that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airline-industry-after-coronvirus-when-will-it-recover-bankruptcy-layoffs-2020-4">it will take up to five years for airlines to fully recover</a> to 2019 levels of flying and demand.Ultimately, airlines that have built their business models around international travel will continue to struggle, even as domestic travel returns."While the recovery is good, we are far away from anything that can sustain the business over a long time," Raja, the head of network planning at American, said in the earlier interview.

A European travel ban on Americans could be a sign of disastrous things to come for US airlines

<ul class="summary-list"><li>New data shows <keyword id="2379" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="California">California</keyword>'s shelter-in-place order helped reduce <keyword id="6361065" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="traffic">traffic</keyword> crashes by a massive percentage. </li><li>Researchers at UC Davis found crashes fell by 50% since late March, helping save the state and drivers money. </li><li>Traffic is also a major source of pollution and its slowdown has helped air quality reach levels not seen in decades. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>California's shelter-in-place order did more than just slow down the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>' spread throughout the state.Since March 19, when Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the shutdown rules, <keyword id="61962" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Car-crashes">car crashes</keyword> have fallen by 15,000 per month, according to <a href="https://roadecology.ucdavis.edu/files/content/projects/COVID_CHIPs_Impacts_updated_415.pdf">new research from the University of California, Davis</a>, freeing up state resources and improving air quality to the best levels in years."We estimate that since the order went into effect, collisions and especially injury and fatality collisions have been reduced by half, from ~1,000 crashes and ~400 injury/fatal crashes per day to 500 and 200 per day, respectively," the researchers said.That 50% reduction in crashes meant plenty of money saved for the government and drivers alike."The reduction in numbers of all collisions, injury, and fatal collision was equivalent to a $40 million/day savings in costs and about $1 billion in savings since the Governor's order went into effect," the researchers said in an update on April 15 that further confirmed their original findings from April 1. Those estimated costs include property damage, lost time, insurance claims, and the cost of emergency response.<div type="image" title="Traffic crash reductions california coronavirus" height="676" width="1756" msid="75257003" hostid="261"></div>The drastic reduction in traffic crashes was confirmed by lower automobile and motorcycle trauma injuries at hospitals, researchers said.Around the world, air quality has greatly benefitted from not only a reduction in traffic volumes, but also a near standstill in global air traffic and a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/08/upshot/electricity-usage-predict-coronavirus-recession.html">slowdown of household electricity consumption.</a> Los Angeles in particular, notorious for smog, had its <a href="https://la.curbed.com/2020/3/26/21195699/pollution-los-angeles-traffic-coronavirus">longest stretch of clean air since 1980.</a>This is all completely unprecedented."There is no equivalent in our recent <keyword id="34991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="transportation">transportation</keyword> history to such large changes in vehicle movement on our state and local roads," the researchers said. "The reduction in traffic collisions and injury/fatal accidents, in particular, was correlated with a similar % reduction in traffic volumes on a wide range of highways statewide."As of Monday, the coronavirus had infected more than 760,000 Americans, according to Johns Hopkins University. California, in particular, surpassed 30,000 confirmed cases on Saturday, state officials said. A 7-day average of new cases <a href="https://www.latimes.com/projects/california-coronavirus-cases-tracking-outbreak/">has begun to fall slightly,</a> in a possible sign that such drastic measures have proven successful."Please continue to be smart," Newsom <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/newsletter/2020-04-20/gavin-newsom-coronavirus-battle-newsletter-essential-politics">said</a> at a Friday press conference. "Continue to do what you've done to get us to this point."Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-car-crashes-decrease-50-percent-coronavirus-shelter-in-place-2020-4">Business Insider</a>

You Searched For "air traffic coronavirus" and got 12 results

US air traffic on Thanksgiving eve was the highest it's been since the beginning of the pandemic

Bill Bostock

Photos of the New York City night sky taken one year apart illustrate how the coronavirus pandemic has affected air traffic

Zoë Ettinger

JFK airport's air-traffic control tower closed temporarily after an FAA technician tested positive for the coronavirus

Thomas Pallini

11 air traffic control centers have been temporarily closed after workers tested positive for coronavirus, highlighting a vulnerability in air travel

India's domestic air traffic to fall to 90 mn this fiscal: Report

PTI

The CEO of air taxi firm Hopscotch Air sees the pandemic as an opportunity to replace airlines as they abandon regional routes – here's how he plans to do it

Thomas Pallini

United will relaunch more than 25 international routes in September, even though Americans are still banned from many destinations

David Slotnick

The TSA said it screened nearly 1.3 million travelers on Sunday, the most since the beginning of the pandemic

Allana Akhtar

China's air pollution dropped dramatically after coronavirus lockdown

Shona Ghosh

United says more people are canceling flights as COVID-19 cases soar ahead of the Thanksgiving travel rush

Graham Rapier

A European travel ban on Americans could be a sign of disastrous things to come for US airlines

David Slotnick

California's shelter-in-place order cut car crashes by 50% — saving motorists $40 million every single day

Graham Rapier

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