Airline travel has dropped 96 percent amid coronavirus

Airline travel has dropped 96 percent amid the coronavirus pandemic, CNN reported Thursday, citing multiple metrics. 

Only about one in 10 seats on U.S. domestic planes are occupied, the outlet reported citing Airlines for America, an industry group that represents airlines including American, Delta, Southwest and United.  

On the limited number of international flights operating, only one in five seats are occupied, the group said. 

Most airlines have cut about 71 percent of their capacity, the group reportedly said, according to CNN. 

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers screened around 95,000 people at airport checkpoints on Wednesday, marking a 10-year low, CNN reported. It’s a significant drop from the 2.3 million travelers who passed through TSA checkpoints on the same day last year, according to the outlet. 

U.S. carriers have made major cuts to the number of flights in response to the crisis, and a majority of airlines worldwide have cut capacity by 100 percent due to the pandemic.  

Airlines for America reportedly said airlines have cut 71 percent of their capacity, according to CNN. 

Most of the U.S. is under stay-at-home orders in response to the outbreak. The orders call on Americans to leave only for essential needs. 

There’s more than 452,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 16,129 deaths in the U.S. as of Thursday afternoon, based on data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.