Air Travel During Lockdown

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Michał Parzuchowski

Photo of pre-pandemic airport taken by Michał Parzuchowski

We’re all sick of this pandemic (no pun intended), and after many long months of school, Christmas break is finally on the horizon. And with the suddenly clear schedule, many people would normally be eager to get out of the house and tame a vacation, but in 2020, that’s not as simple. Many people are therefore curious about the nature of airports at this time, especially at the time of holiday and family. So how are airports managing? 

Bianca Perez, a student that traveled over Thanksgiving break stated in an interview that “During the break, I went from Houston to Boston. The Houston airport was surprisingly full even though everyone was wearing masks, which was kind of scary. But the Boston airport was almost empty which made me feel a lot safer.”

Another student that traveled during the break was Juan Hidrowoh, and he said that “It felt very strange to travel during the pandemic, because airports that are usually full of people running to catch their flight, were almost completely empty. Besides my own flights, only about three other terminals had people waiting to board.

Though it’s an annoying answer to see, it seems to be case by case. Some airports are pretty full despite the pandemic, which may be concerning to many people, while other airports are comfortably empty. What exactly causes this, I’m not sure, but different airports are at different capacities, which could affect how safe you feel. Things might be different in the Christmas break, people are no doubt itching even more to travel, and they have the time to do so. Whatever you do, wherever you choose to go, please be safe and always do your research.