The number of people traveling by plane has dropped by about 96%, according to multiple metrics reviewed by CNN.
One is the number of people screened by the Transportation Security Administration at airports. That number is about 96% lower than it was this time last year.
On Wednesday, TSA officers screened just shy of 95,000 people, a dramatic drop from the 2.3 million who passed through checkpoints on the equivalent day in 2019.
Airlines for America, a major industry group, also reports a 96% drop in passengers. It said its US airline members have cut 71% of their capacity. Only about one in every 10 seats on the US domestic planes that do fly are occupied, according to the group. On the limited number of international flights that are operating, about one in five seats are occupied.
With fewer flights, airlines need fewer planes. US airlines currently have about 1,800 planes, or 1,500 more than in December, parked, representing about 30% of the US fleet, according to Airlines for America.
The numbers are similarly significant worldwide. At the beginning of the year, about 111,000 commercial flights were operated daily, according to Airlines for America. In the most recent week, it said there were only 31,000 flights.
Several regional airlines have been forced to suspend operations or close because of the dramatic drop in bookings.
The Federal Aviation Administration says employees at 38 of its air traffic control facilities have tested positive for the virus, prompting altered operations and cleanings. Most recently, it said employees in Orlando and Newark tested positive.
At TSA checkpoints, officers now wear masks and – in some cases – face shields. The agency says 327 employees have tested positive for the virus and two have died. TSA employees at the Dulles airport outside Washington, D.C. created a food pantry for their colleagues in the aviation world.