Published on : Monday, April 6, 2020
Previously, Spirit Airlines suspended operations at five airports in the Tri-state area, including LaGuardia, Newark, and Hartford until May 4 because of the CDC warning. David Seymour, Senior Vice President of Operations, American Airlines said in a press statement that the demand for flights to the New York area is rapidly evaporating due to increasing COVID-19 cases in New York City and the surrounding region. He mentioned travel guidelines to the area provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also impacting travel demand.
American Airlines will now operate eight departure flights from New York’s LaGuardia Airport as compared to 170 last year. It will also fly three flights each day from John F. Kennedy International Airport down from 80-midweek peak departures around the same time in 2019. Only one flight will be operated Worth from Newark Liberty International Airport to its hub in Charlotte and Dallas-Fort Worth. The latest reduced schedule will be operated until May 6.
Airports in New York City are some of the busiest in the country with the area having majorly congested airspace. Therefore, the coronavirus pandemic has compelled various airlines to perform major operation cuts, deserting the area even further. Some carriers made deeper cuts in the tri-state region than throughout their networks.
New York State has witnessed a constant rise in positive coronavirus cases since identified on March 1. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already urged residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days, almost a week ago.