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The skies may not be empty forever.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, airlines and airports across the world have seen significant reductions in the numbers of travelers due to restrictions and lockdowns. As some of the countries first impacted by the virus begin to ease back on restrictions, the travel and tourism industries are reportedly watching closely to see how quickly customers return.
On Wednesday, China’s aviation regulator said that the number of daily transported air passengers rose 7.9 percent from March to April (as of April 21), Reuters reports. While this is a marked increase over the previous month, the number of daily passengers is still reportedly only around 29 percent of what it was this time last year.
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Reuters also reported that The Civil Aviation Administration of China said that the country’s number of flights, as opposed to passengers, rose only 1 percent. Altogether, the country's airlines were operating only about 42 percent of the flights they had operated before the virus struck.
While the number of domestic flights in China has reportedly plateaued since a bump in early March, the number of weekly cargo flights has risen to nearly double the number of those operated before the outbreak.
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The global tourism industry is reportedly watching China closely, as it was the first country struck by the virus, and therefore, the first to start shutting down industries. China has recently begun to ease travel and lockdown restrictions, and perhaps begin recovery efforts concerning the travel industry.
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The International Air Transport Association estimates that the global industry will lose $252 billion in 2020, Newsweek reports. The U.S. Travel Association reportedly estimates that 4.6 million jobs in the travel industry will be lost through May.