According to an industry analysis by Airlines for America (A4a), New York and New Jersey suffered the biggest loss of air service so far during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an analysis of published schedules, the industry trade group found that New York saw a 70 percent decline in scheduled passenger flights between July 2019 and July 2020, while New Jersey saw a 67 percent decline. Rounding out the top five states hit hardest with scheduled flight losses were Rhode Island (61 percent), the District of Colombia (60 percent), and Virginia (60 percent.)
The analysis found that Montana was hit the least, with only 25 percent fewer flights during the same time period. West Virginia only saw a 27 percent reduction in flights, while both Utah and Maryland saw a 33 percent reduction, and Alaska saw a 37 percent reduction.
The national average was a 50 percent reduction in scheduled flights.
The analysis also found that the number of air travelers being screened by the Transportation Security Administration has dropped dramatically. New York has seen the biggest year-over-year decline with 86 percent fewer screenings, while Hawaii saw an 85 percent decline. Both Washington, D.C., and Vermont saw an 83 percent decline, while Massachusetts saw an 82 percent decline.
A4A said that before the pandemic, U.S. airlines were transporting 2.5 million passengers and 58,000 tons of cargo each day. Travel bans and stay-at-home orders put in place to stop the spread of Covid-19 decreased air travel demand. At its lowest point, in April, the industry saw a 96 percent decline in passenger volume, the organization said.