Aircraft operations experience steep decline during pandemic

Reynolds discusses how aircraft operations experience steep decline during pandemic. The Aircraft Operations Technical Committee promotes safe and efficient operations in the airspace system by encouraging best practices and information-sharing among the community and government agencies. Global airline operations fell by 70% in March compared with 2019. Operations slowly started to return: by early November, US flights were down 40% and passengers down 60% compared to the previous year. Airlines responded to the pandemic and lower demand by grounding fleets and introducing new operating procedures, including frequently deep cleaning cabins, keeping middle seats empty and requiring masks.