The spread of the coronavirus and the accompanying guidance against unnecessary travel has led to a dramatic drop in airline travel. The chart below helps demonstrate just how dramatic that drop was.
The TSA tracks daily visits through its security checkpoints. On April 2, 2019, there were over 2.4 million such visits, but on the same day this year, the number had fallen to just 124,021 — a drop in 95%.
In addition to President Trump’s decision to bar travel from Europe and China, social distancing guidance has forced businesses, families, and individuals to cancel travel plans and led to a severe downturn in economic activity.
The airlines have also dramatically reduced service in response to the lower demand, as the crisis has been much worse than the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. After Sept. 11, 2001, there was a brief grounding of airlines, followed by a reopening with stepped-up security.
