Staying home

The Covid-19 effect on global flight traffic

THE

number of flights has dropped by nearly a half compared to last year, as airlines ground entire fleets due to the Covid19 pandemic. Figures from air travel data analysts OAG reveal the number of scheduled flights across the world in the week to March 30 was down 47.7% compared to the same week last year.

Western European countries have been heavily affected by the major reductions in scheduled flights.

Italy has seen the biggest drop, with 89.2% fewer scheduled flights departing the country’s airports compared to the same week last year.

Germany and Spain follow, with a decrease of 88.6% and 88.5% respectively, while in the UK, the number of departing flights has dropped by three-quarters (75.6%).

The drops show the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the airline industry - with many major airlines grounding flights, as Ryanair did on March 24, airspace being closed, and financial pressures leading some airlines, like Flybe, to collapse.

The figures do not cover Easyjet grounding their complete fleet on March 30 and British Airways stopping flights from London Gatwick on March 31.

Outside Europe, flight numbers were down by 89.3% in Singapore, 88.3% in Hong Kong and 63.1% in Australia.

The International Air Transport Association has estimated global passenger revenue losses this year will be between £52bn and £94bn.

However, some experts think that the coronavirus spread could have environmental benefits.

Aviation is the biggest contributor to climate change when it comes to transport, with domestic and international flight emissions accounting for 2.4% of worldwide energy-related CO2 emissions in 2019.

In 2016, a UN deal between 192 countries agreed to set carbon emissions limits from international flights at 2020 levels, meaning that 2020 emissions will be used as a baseline going forward.

The drop in the number of scheduled flights is expected to keep aviation emissions unusually low this year, and may mean airlines will have to stay within a tighter limit than they had expected.

Speaking at a hearing of the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, Katherine Kramer, global head of climate change policy at Christian Aid, said: “One possible benefit for this virus, if you can see any light in this particular tragedy, is that their [airlines’] baseline is 2020, and at the moment aviation is, as we know, kind of flat-lining.”

However, others believe any drop may not be sustained.

Fatih Birol, executive director at International Energy Agency (IEA), said: “We may well see CO2 emissions fall this year as a result of the impact of the coronavirus on economic activity, particularly transport.

“But it is very important to understand that this would not be the result of governments and companies adopting new policies and strategies.

“It would most likely be a shortterm blip that could well be followed by a rebound in emissions growth as economic activity ramps back up.”