Airports Shut Down: Coronavirus Impact And Travel Woes

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant disruption to air travel, with many airports shutting down and imposing travel restrictions. By April 2020, the number of flights worldwide had decreased by 80%. This resulted in a substantial decline in passenger numbers, with some airports, such as Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, experiencing an 85% drop in travellers. Heathrow Airport, a major global hub, also faced a shutdown in March 2025 due to a fire, impacting hundreds of thousands of passengers and causing worldwide travel chaos.

• By April, the number of flights around the world had fallen by 80%.
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest airport, was down 85% in passengers. |

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was nearly shut down by Covid-19

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic since 1998, was almost shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, its passenger traffic dipped due to travel restrictions, marking the only exception to its otherwise uninterrupted status as the world's busiest airport.

The airport covers 4,700 acres of land and has five parallel runways aligned in an east-west direction. Three runways are 9,000 feet long, one is 10,000 feet, and the longest measures 12,390 feet, capable of handling the Airbus A380. The airport's history dates back to 1925 when a rent-free lease was signed on an abandoned auto racetrack, then known as The Atlanta Speedway. The first flight into what was then called Candler Field landed in 1926, and over the years, it has expanded significantly to accommodate growing air traffic.

The COVID-19 pandemic, however, presented an unprecedented challenge. As the virus spread globally in early 2020, airports worldwide shut down, and governments imposed travel restrictions. By April, global flight numbers had dropped by 80%. While Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport did not completely shut down, it experienced a significant decrease in passenger traffic due to the pandemic's impact on travel.

The airport has since recovered, with global passenger numbers reaching 2019 levels again by 2024. However, the pandemic's effects on aviation were significant, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport's near shutdown demonstrates the extent to which COVID-19 disrupted air travel worldwide.

In April 2020, global flights were down by 80%

The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on the aviation industry, with a significant decline in passenger numbers and flight movements. By April 2020, global flights had dropped by a staggering 80% compared to the previous year. This massive reduction in air travel was a result of several factors, including government-imposed travel restrictions, border closures, and a sharp decline in passenger demand.

The pandemic hit the industry hard, with airlines slashing schedules and struggling to stay afloat. As early as March 2020, there was a 10% cancellation rate compared to 2019. However, as the pandemic worsened, the situation deteriorated further. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimated enormous revenue losses for the industry, initially predicting losses of US$63-113 billion in March 2020. Just two weeks later, they revised their estimate to a staggering US$252 billion, a 44% drop globally.

The impact on passenger numbers was severe. In April 2020, global passenger capacity plummeted to 91% below typical levels, according to the ICAO. This translated to an anticipated 1.2 billion fewer travellers by September 2020, causing a massive revenue shortfall of $160-253 billion for that year. European airlines were particularly affected, with $10 billion owed for cancelled flights and a predicted 55% fall in revenue compared to 2019, amounting to a colossal $89 billion loss.

The pandemic's effect on the aviation industry was long-lasting. While air travel eventually resumed, it was a slow road to recovery. It wasn't until 2024 that global passenger numbers finally returned to 2019 levels. The road to recovery varied across regions, with Asia-Pacific experiencing the quickest rebound, followed by North America and then Europe, which had the slowest recovery.

Many governments closed national borders

As a new coronavirus spread around the globe in early 2020, many governments closed national borders and imposed travel restrictions. For example, in March 2020, Libya's UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli suspended all flights at Misrata Airport for three weeks and closed its borders. Similarly, in March 2020, Denmark announced it would temporarily close its borders to non-citizens, except residents. In April 2020, Tajikistan followed suit and closed its borders to foreigners.

In addition to border closures, many countries implemented other travel restrictions. For instance, some countries mandated negative COVID-19 test results for entry, like Ethiopia, which required arriving passengers to present a negative COVID-19 test taken within the last 72 hours, undergo medical checks, and quarantine for 14 days at a government-designated hotel. Other countries, like Ghana, resumed international air travel but kept land and sea borders closed until further notice.

By April 2020, the number of flights worldwide had decreased by 80%. When air travel resumed, passengers had to wear masks, undergo mandatory coronavirus tests, and comply with other measures that made flying more challenging and costly. It wasn't until 2024 that global passenger numbers returned to 2019 levels.

When air travel resumed, masks and tests were mandatory

As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe in early 2020, airports around the world were forced to shut down. Many countries closed their national borders and imposed travel restrictions. By April 2020, the number of flights worldwide had dropped by 80%. When air travel eventually resumed, masks and coronavirus tests were made mandatory, along with other measures that increased the cost and hassle of flying. It was only in 2024 that global passenger numbers finally returned to pre-pandemic levels.

During the early stages of the pandemic, airports implemented various safety measures to curb the spread of the virus. One notable example was the Los Angeles International Airport, where licensed vocational nurse Caren Williams was photographed collecting a nasal swab sample from a traveler at a COVID-19 testing site in November 2020. Face masks also became a common sight at airports, as seen at Denver International Airport in August 2021.

In 2022, travel restrictions began to ease in many countries, and the mandatory mask mandate was overturned by a federal court decision in April of that year. As a result, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) no longer required masks to be worn, although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that travelers continue to wear masks during public transit. The CDC also advised a seven-day quarantine for air travelers arriving in the United States, along with a negative COVID-19 test before flying.

Despite the CDC's recommendations, the TSA's suspension of the mask mandate meant that individual airlines and airports were left to decide their own face-covering requirements. As of November 2022, masks were only required in select New York City metro airports, such as John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA). Masks were optional within most domestic airports in the United States, and none of the major commercial airlines required passengers to wear masks on domestic flights. However, it is important to note that some international destinations still required masks for travel.

It took until 2024 for global passenger numbers to recover

In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought air travel to a standstill as governments closed national borders and imposed travel restrictions. By April, the number of flights around the world had dropped by 80%. When air travel resumed, it was with masks, mandatory coronavirus tests, and other measures that made flying more challenging and costly.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents more than 280 airlines, predicted that global passenger traffic would not return to pre-COVID-19 levels until 2024, a year later than previously expected. This forecast considered recent trends, including slow virus containment in certain countries, reduced corporate travel, and weak consumer confidence due to job insecurity and rising unemployment.

IATA's prediction proved accurate, as it wasn't until 2024 that global passenger numbers finally recovered to 2019 levels. Short-haul travel was expected to recover faster than long-haul due to passenger comfort levels and the closure of many international markets.

In the meantime, the aviation industry faced significant challenges. IATA's director general and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac, noted that summer, typically the industry's busiest season, was passing by without the expected rebound in passenger numbers. Governments were urged to continue providing financial relief to airlines to prevent them from collapsing under the strain of the prolonged recovery period.

While the closure of Heathrow Airport in 2025 due to an electrical substation fire caused significant disruption, it was the COVID-19 pandemic and its lingering effects that truly tested the resilience of the aviation industry.

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