Traffic drops sharply at Memphis airport
Memphis International Airport saw a noticeable decline in passenger traffic start last week as the coronavirus outbreak places a stranglehold on the global airline business.
From Thursday to Sunday, the airport saw 45% to 55% fewer travelers than the year before, said airport spokesman Glen Thomas, citing Transportation Security Administration screening data.
That drop echoes what the airport said last week about passenger traffic being “significantly below previous projections for Spring Break” as coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns have proliferated. It also falls in line with what other airports have experienced amid the outbreak’s unprecedented effects on global movement.
The travel slowdown is slamming airlines across the globe. Measures to contain COVID-19 could mean $113 billion in lost revenue for airlines, the International Air Transport Association estimated March 5, before more drastic measures from the U.S. and others were put in place.
Delta, American Airlines and United, all of which operate flights out of Memphis, have cut some flights across their networks in response to the steep decline in demand. Airlines had already been grappling with the grounding of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, although the 737 MAX wasn’t a Memphis regular.
Airport responds to global outbreak
Earlier this month, Memphis International Airport had celebrated the arrival of a nonstop Boston flight through Delta Airlines. It landed the coveted destination after continued passenger growth.
Thomas said it’s “too early to tell” how the airline reductions will affect the status of new nonstop Memphis offerings. No airline has reported a Memphis International Airport flight cancellation yet due to the outbreak, he said.
Travelers may notice tweaks within the airport, however — the B security checkpoint will handle all passenger traffic while the C checkpoint is temporarily closed.
“TSA has indicated that this is best allocation of their resources and most efficient way of managing checkpoint operations,” the airport said last week. “The C checkpoint will be available for reactivation if necessary.”
Memphis International Airport is also increasing its sanitation of high-contact areas such as passenger gates, with restaurants also boosting their own sanitation efforts.
Two restaurants in the airport — Maggie O’shea’s and Moe’s — will temporarily close because of the lack of travelers.
Passengers react to virus’ impact
Some travelers flying out of Memphis on Monday morning said because of the continued COVID-19 outbreak they have
tweaked their itineraries and taken extra precautions to not get sick or unintentionally spread the disease.
Jean-claude Bauvais, of Quebec, had planned to stay in Florida for about a month to take care of family after visiting Memphis. Once Canada recommended its citizens to return to the country as soon as possible, he said he’s cutting the trip two weeks short.
“It’s no rush for me and my wife, but some people in my group want to change their flights,” he said. “They are afraid the airline companies will cancel (flights) and there will be no flights.”
Levin Thomas, who was waiting for a flight back home to Florida, visited Memphis for five days. Although he didn’t stray from his plans in the city, the amount of coronavirus-related news and masks he saw put the disease at the top of his mind.
“It’s something to be worried about,” said Thomas, who packed a medical mask. “… We had thoughts about wanting to cancel.”
Memphis’ Patrick Sweeney was waiting for his girlfriend to return home from Brazil early due to the coronavirus outbreak. She hasn’t shown any signs of the virus, but she plans to get an area Airbnb rental to self-isolate herself for cautionary reasons, Sweeney said. He intends to “self-isolate with her.”
Not everyone at Memphis International Airport was concerned or affected travel-wise by the outbreak. Tesha Henry, who was returning to Virginia after visiting family in Mississippi, said she trusts a combination of both her immune system and God to keep her safe amid the outbreak.
“I feel like everyone’s worried about it — I’m not,” Henry said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends older adults and those with “serious chronic medical conditions” postpone nonessential travel. People with a fever, cough or difficulty breathing should stay at home, it said.
Those who are traveling should avoid contact with sick people, wash their hands often and practice social distancing for 14 days after travel, per the CDC.
Max Garland covers Fedex, logistics and health care for The Commercial Appeal. Reach him at max.garland@commercialappeal.com or 901-529-2651 and on Twitter @Maxgarlandtypes.