Business Fallout: more flights halted, Walmart hiring 150K

Less than three months ago came the first reports of cases of pneumonia related to a virus first detected in Wuhan, China. The outbreak of the virus that causes COVID-19 has caused unprecedented disruptions that have brought an unparalleled shock to the global economy.

Following are developments Friday related to the outbreak, efforts by governments to stabilize their economies, companies that must navigate through an altered landscape, and the millions of people affected.

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TRAVEL DECLINES: The Transportation Security Administration is reporting the lowest number of passengers at U.S. airports ever recorded by the agency.

TSA reports that nearly 624,000 people passed through its outbound checkpoints on Thursday. That compares with 2.4 million on the same day a year earlier. It’s the lowest number of outbound passengers ever recorded by an agency created in November 2001 in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The Hong Kong low-cost airline HK Express, part of the Cathay Pacific Group, is suspending all flights through the end of April with millions of potential travelers shutting in. HK Express normally flies 25 routes throughout Asia. Cathay's flagship carrier, Cathay Pacific Airways, has cut 90% of its flights and asked staff to take unpaid leave.

American Airlines is initiating cargo-only flights between the US and Europe. FedEx and UPS were expecting to absorb a greater share of cargo typically carried by commercial airlines, which have severely cut capacity.

Air Canada is laying off more than 5,000 flight attendants, about 60% of that staff, according to a union official, as the country's largest airline grounds its planes. Wesley Lesosky, who heads the Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, said the layoffs include 3,600...