The pandemic has changed how we fly, dramatically reducing the number of flights around the world. To show how Covid-19 has altered the skies, The Wall Street Journal analyzed flight data from aviation data provider Cirium Core for a 24-hour period—Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. That was a month after the new coronavirus forced Wuhan, China, into lockdown and a week after Italy ordered Europe’s first lockdowns. It was still before other big countries initiated lockdowns and travel bans to slow the spread.
Feb. 28, 2020
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 28, 2020
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 28, 2020
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 28, 2020
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 28, 2020
International route
Domestic route
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 28, 2020
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 28, 2020
Here is the same 24-hour period a year later, on Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. At big airline hubs, such as New York, London, Dubai and Singapore, possible destinations have fallen sharply. Many routes still in operation are serviced by far fewer flights a day.
Feb. 26, 2021
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 26, 2021
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 26, 2021
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 26, 2021
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 26, 2021
International route
Domestic route
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 26, 2021
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 26, 2021
International routes were down 60%, mostly because of a patchwork of differing travel bans by countries around the world. Even without travel restrictions, passengers remain wary. U.S. domestic routes were down 16%. Here’s a breakdown:
Feb. 28, 2020
Feb. 26, 2021
Number of routes
Number of flights
International
International
Feb. 28, 2020
Feb. 26, 2021
Number of routes
Number of flights
International
International
Feb. 28, 2020
Feb. 26, 2021
Number of routes
Number of flights
International
International
Feb. 28, 2020
Feb. 26, 2021
Number of routes
International
Number of flights
International
Feb. 28, 2020
Feb. 26, 2021
Number of routes
International
Number of flights
International
The U.S. shed more routes than anywhere, but that’s because it’s such a bigger aviation market. As a percentage of total routes, Europe took a bigger hit. In the U.K., airlines flew 78% fewer routes. A few small markets, like the Marshall Islands and Syria, didn’t have a single flight in or out on Feb. 26 this year. Meanwhile, Chinese domestic flights were brisk amid that country’s quick recovery.
Number of routes by country
Feb. 28, 2020
Feb. 26,
2021
Number of routes by country
Feb. 28, 2020
Feb. 26,
2021
Number of routes by country
Feb. 28, 2020
Feb. 26,
2021
Number of routes by country
Feb. 28, 2020
Feb. 26,
2021
Number of routes by country
Feb. 28, 2020
Feb. 26,
2021
You can still get to most international destinations from America’s largest hubs, including New York, though your choice of flights is much smaller. Not so for smaller hubs. Cincinnati’s airport, for instance, no longer offers near-daily flights to Paris.
Feb. 28, 2020
Feb. 26, 2021
Traffic with Europe
dropped significantly
U.S. domestic routes
fell just 16%
San Francisco
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Los Angeles
Mexico City
Mexico City
Panama City
Panama City
Routes between the U.S.
and Latin America
held relatively steady
São Paulo
São Paulo
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 26, 2021
Feb. 28, 2020
Traffic with Europe
dropped significantly
U.S. domestic routes
fell just 16%
San Francisco
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Los Angeles
Mexico City
Mexico City
Panama City
Panama City
Routes between the U.S.
and Latin America
held relatively steady
São Paulo
São Paulo
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 28, 2020
International route
Domestic route
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Mexico City
Panama City
São Paulo
Buenos Aires
Feb. 26, 2021
Traffic with Europe
dropped significantly
U.S. domestic routes
fell just 16%
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Mexico City
Panama City
Routes between the U.S.
and Latin America
held relatively steady
São Paulo
Buenos Aires
Feb. 28, 2020
International route
Domestic route
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Mexico City
Panama City
São Paulo
Buenos Aires
Feb. 26, 2021
Traffic with Europe
dropped significantly
U.S. domestic routes
fell just 16%
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Mexico City
Panama City
Routes between U.S.
and Latin America
held relatively steady
São Paulo
Buenos Aires
Feb. 28, 2020
International route
Domestic route
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Mexico City
Panama City
São Paulo
Buenos Aires
Feb. 26, 2021
Traffic with Europe
dropped significantly
U.S. domestic routes
fell just 16%
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Mexico City
Panama City
Routes between
the U.S. and Latin America
held relatively steady
São Paulo
Buenos Aires
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 28, 2020
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Mexico City
Panama City
São Paulo
Buenos Aires
Feb. 26, 2021
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Mexico City
Panama City
São Paulo
Buenos Aires
U.S. domestic routes fell just 16%
Traffic with Europe dropped significantly
Routes between U.S. and Latin America held
relatively steady
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 28, 2020
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Mexico City
Panama City
São Paulo
Buenos Aires
Feb. 26, 2021
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Mexico City
Panama City
São Paulo
Buenos Aires
U.S. domestic routes fell just 16%
Traffic with Europe dropped significantly
Routes between the U.S. and
Latin America held relatively steady
From the U.S., there were still plenty of routes to Mexico and Latin America. But flying north of the border was much harder. A year ago, there were 13 routes a day between the U.S. and Spain. On Feb. 26 of this year there was just one. Routes to Iceland and New Zealand, popular tourism destinations, disappeared that day.
Number of routes with the U.S., selected destinations
Feb. 28,
2020
Feb. 26,
2021
Dominican
Republic
Puerto Rico
Costa Rica
Switzerland
New Zealand
Number of routes with the U.S., selected destinations
Feb. 28,
2020
Feb. 26,
2021
Dominican
Republic
Puerto Rico
Costa Rica
Switzerland
New
Zealand
Number of routes with the U.S., selected destinations
Feb. 28,
2020
Feb. 26,
2021
Dominican
Republic
Puerto Rico
Costa Rica
New
Zealand
Switzerland
Number of routes with the U.S.,
selected destinations
Feb. 28,
2020
Feb. 26,
2021
Dominican
Republic
Puerto Rico
Costa Rica
Switzerland
New
Zealand
Number of routes with the U.S.,
selected destinations
Feb. 28,
2020
Feb. 26,
2021
Dominican
Republic
Puerto Rico
Costa Rica
Switzerland
New
Zealand
European travel has been significantly affected by a patchwork of national travel bans between neighboring countries. Flights inside Europe fell 73% between the two dates. There were just six flights between Paris and London, for instance, compared with 26 flights last year. London-Dubai, a once-popular route for business and pleasure, was down to just two daily flights, compared with 18 last year. Last February, there were 35 flights between two of Europe’s most important financial and diplomatic hubs—London and Geneva. This year, none.
Feb. 28, 2020
Feb. 26, 2021
Flight volume inside
Europe fell 73%
Russian domestic routes
fell just 3.1%
Transatlantic traffic
thinned considerably
Travel with
Asia fell
Canary Islands
Canary Islands
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Across Africa,
flight volume fell 39%
The two Middle East hubs
saw routes fall 30%,
volume fell more than 50%
International route
Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Domestic route
Russian domestic
routes fell just 3.1%
Flight volume inside
Europe fell 73%
Feb. 28, 2020
Feb. 26, 2021
Transatlantic traffic
thinned considerably
Travel with
Asia fell
Canary Islands
Canary Islands
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Across Africa,
flight volume fell 39%
Johannesburg
International route
Johannesburg
The two Middle East hubs
saw routes fall 30%,
volume fell more than 50%
Domestic route
Feb. 28, 2020
International route
Domestic route
Canary Islands
Addis Ababa
Johannesburg
Feb. 26, 2021
Flight volume inside
Europe fell 73%
Russian domestic routes
fell just 3.1%
Transatlantic traffic
thinned considerably
Travel with
Asia fell
Canary Islands
Addis Ababa
Across Africa,
flight volume fell 39%
The two Middle East hubs
saw routes fall 30%,
volume fell more than 50%
Johannesburg
Feb. 28, 2020
International route
Domestic route
Canary Islands
Addis Ababa
Johannesburg
Flight volume inside
Europe fell 73%
Feb. 26, 2021
Russian domestic routes
fell just 3.1%
Transatlantic traffic
thinned considerably
Travel with
Asia fell
Canary Islands
Addis Ababa
Across Africa,
flight volume fell 39%
The two Middle East hubs
saw routes fall 30%,
volume fell more than 50%
Johannesburg
Feb. 28, 2020
International route
Domestic route
Canary Islands
Addis Ababa
Johannesburg
Flight volume inside
Europe fell 73%
Feb. 26, 2021
Russian domestic
routes fell just 3.1%
Transatlantic traffic
thinned considerably
Travel with
Asia fell
Canary Islands
Addis Ababa
Across Africa,
flight volume fell 39%
Johannesburg
The two Middle East hubs
saw routes fall 30%,
volume fell more than 50%
Domestic route
International route
Feb. 28, 2020
Canary Islands
Addis Ababa
Johannesburg
Feb. 26, 2021
Canary Islands
Addis Ababa
Johannesburg
Transatlantic traffic thinned considerably
Flight volume inside Europe fell 73%
Russian domestic routes fell just 3.1%
Less traffic with Asia
The two Middle East hubs saw routes fall 30%,
volume fell more than 50%
Across Africa, flight volume fell 39%
Domestic route
International route
Feb. 28, 2020
Canary Islands
Addis Ababa
Johannesburg
Feb. 26, 2021
Canary Islands
Addis Ababa
Johannesburg
Transatlantic traffic thinned considerably
Flight volume inside Europe fell 73%
Russian domestic routes fell just 3.1%
Travel with Asia fell
The two Middle East hubs saw routes fall
30%, volume fell more than 50%
Across Africa, flight volume fell 39%
In Asia, international travel fell sharply. Chinese overseas flights were down 73%. Domestic flights, though, were up 124%, marking a strong recovery from that country’s early lockdown. Trying to go to Australia? There were just two routes this year on the day from the U.S., from Los Angeles and San Francisco, compared with 10 last year.
Feb. 28, 2020
Feb. 26, 2021
China’s international flight volumes
dropped by 73%, but domestic
flights rose 124%
68% of routes between
China and Japan, popular
with tourists, disappeared
These two regional hubs
both suffered route declines
of between 55% and 65%
95% of routes between
China and Thailand, another
big tourism connection, vanished
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 28, 2020
Feb. 26, 2021
68% of routes
between China and
Japan, popular with
tourists, disappeared
China’s international flight
volumes dropped by 73%,
but domestic flights
rose 124%
These two regional hubs
both suffered route declines
of between 55% and 65%
95% of routes between
China and Thailand, another
big tourism connection, vanished
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 28, 2020
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 26, 2021
China’s international flight volumes
dropped by 73%, but domestic
flights rose 124%
68% of routes between
China and Japan, popular
with tourists, disappeared
These two regional hubs
both suffered route declines
of between 55% and 65%
95% of routes between
China and Thailand, another
big tourism connection, vanished
Feb. 28, 2020
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 26, 2021
68% of routes between
China and Japan, popular
with tourists, disappeared
China’s international flight
volumes dropped by 73%,
but domestic flights
rose 124%
These two regional hubs
both suffered route declines
of between 55% and 65%
95% of routes between
China and Thailand, another
big tourism connection, vanished
Feb. 28, 2020
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 26, 2021
China’s international flight
volumes dropped by 73%,
but domestic flights
rose 124%
68% of routes between
China and Japan,
popular with tourists,
disappeared
These two regional hubs
both suffered route declines
of between 55% and 65%
95% of routes between
China and Thailand, another
big tourism connection, vanished
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 28, 2020
Feb. 26, 2021
China’s international flight volumes dropped by
73%, but domestic flights rose 124%
68% of routes between China and Japan,
popular with tourists, disappeared
These two regional hubs both suffered
route declines of between 55% and 65%
95% of routes between China and Thailand,
another big tourism connection, vanished
International route
Domestic route
Feb. 28, 2020
Feb. 26, 2021
China’s international flight volumes
dropped by 73%, but domestic flights
rose 124%
68% of routes between China and Japan,
popular with tourists, disappeared
These two regional hubs both suffered
route declines of between 55% and 65%
95% of routes between China and Thailand,
another big tourism connection, vanished
Vaccinations are rolling out around the world, giving airline executives hope for a quick return to pre-pandemic days. Most travel experts, however, don’t see that happening until at least next year.
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