A near-total shutdown of air travel in the United States could be on the horizon and major carriers are making plans for it.
The Wall Street Journal reported Monday night that plans are being put together that would leave the skies nearly empty of commercial flights because of the coronavirus pandemic that's affecting the entire world.
The shutdown could be voluntarily in nature or it could come as a direct order from the federal government. Either way, it's something the airlines are preparing for. In recent weeks, the number of passengers taking commercial flights has dropped as people are either ordered or encouraged to stay home and not travel in an effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Most international flights, for example, have been taken off schedules and domestic flights, according to the Journal, could be reduced by 40%. In many cases, airlines are being forced to either fly a plane with just a handful of passengers on it or cancel the flight altogether.
It was recently reported that American Airlines is grounding 55,000 flights in April and parking 450 planes — which amounts to half of the carrier's fleet.
Meanwhile, airlines are pleading with the government for billions of dollars to keep them in business.
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