U.S. Airlines Eye Possible Shutdown Of Flights Over Virus: Report

As millions across the United States cancel or postpone travel plans due to the ongoing new coronavirus outbreak, major U.S. airlines including American, Delta and United are drafting plans to possibly shut down all passenger flights in the country, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The Transportation Security Administration reported passenger flow at its checkpoints was down more than 80 percent Sunday from the same day a year earlier, the Journal reported, adding that thousands of flights were canceled Monday due to lack of passengers.

U.S. airlines have already eliminated a majority of international flights and announced plans to cut back domestic flying by as much as 40 percent, the Journal reported. Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, U.S. airlines operated more than 8.4 million flights annually.

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No final decisions have been made regarding a potential airline shutdown, industry and federal officials told the newspaper, but the scenario is among several under consideration to not only help the airlines save money but stop the spread of the virus.

Still, as 80 million U.S. residents have been ordered to stay at home, airline executives, pilot-union leaders and federal transportation officials feel the move is inevitable for the industry to stay afloat as it sees sharp reductions in passengers and scheduled flights, according to the Journal.

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