Airlines increasingly reliant on ‘ghost flights’ during coronavirus outbreak

Industry analysts expect demand for air travel to hit its lowest point since the 2008 financial crisis. This year, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), carriers could lose upwards of $113 billion in revenue if coronavirus continues to spread. With demand down, some carriers have had to take the losses on the nose, electing to fly empty planes to their destinations — rather than cancelling the flight — in order to avoid losing coveted take-off and landing spots. These are known as ghost flights. At more than 200 of the world’s busiest airports, airlines are allocated specific windows…

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