The air travel industry forecast a long road to recovery following the temporary termination of services amid COVID-19 global pandemic.
Some passengers have cancelled all travel plans this year, even as countries and states start to loosen lock-down restrictions and scheduling the reopening of their borders.
Airlines have temporarily cancelled and reduced services to several airports in the U.S and U.S territories.
At least three airlines will be temporarily cancelling their services to the U.S. Virgin Islands. These include United Airlines, Seaborne Airlines, Silver Airlines and Spirit Airlines.
Seaborne Airlines has temporarily cancelled services to the airports in San Juan and Vieques, Puerto Rico.
The U.S. airline industry received a $25 billion bailout from the Cares Act. These funds that were supposed to be used to cover payroll costs, while stipulating that airlines not involuntarily furlough workers or cut pay rates through the end of September.
The CARES Act also required that all airlines maintain service to all U.S. airports they served pre-COVID-19, but the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has begun to relax requirements. With demands being low, airlines have lobbied to secure service exemptions.
The Department of Transportation has quietly agreed. While no airport will wholly lose service, many will be reduced to just one carrier.
Each U.S. airline will be allowed to shed 5% of its airports served or five airports, whichever is greater. Airlines had until May 18 to submit their choices.
After reviewing the requests, the DOT tentatively approved the following service suspensions:
ALASKA AIRLINES SUSPENSIONS
- Charleston, SC – (CHS)
- Columbus, OH – (CMH)
- El Paso, TX – (ELP)
- New Orleans, LA – (MSY)
- San Antonio, TX – (SAT)
ALLEGIANT AIR SUSPENSIONS
- New Orleans, LA – (MSY)
- Ogdensburg, NY – (OGS)
- Palm Springs, CA – (PSP)
- San Antonio, TX – (SAT)
- Springfield, IL – (SPI)
- Tucson, AZ – (TUS)
AMERICAN AIRLINES SUSPENSIONS
- Aspen, CO – (ASE)
- Eagle, CO – (EGE)
- Montrose, CO – (MTJ)
- Worcester, MA – (ORH)
CAPE AIR SUSPENSIONS
- Portland, ME – (PWM)
CORVUS AIRLINES / ERA AVIATION / RAVN ALASKA SUSPENSIONS
- Goodnews Bay, AK – (GNU)
- Kodiak, AK – (ADQ)
- Napakiak, AK – (WNA)
- Napaskiak, AK – (PKA)
- Platinum, AK – (PTU)
DELTA AIR LINES SUSPENSIONS
- Aspen, CO – (ASE)
- Bangor, ME – (BGR)
- Erie, PA – (ERI)
- Flint, MI – (FNT)
- Fort Smith, AR – (FSM)
- Lincoln, NE – (LNK)
- New Bern/Morehead/Beaufort, NC – (EWN)
- Peoria, IL – (PIA)
- Santa Barbara, CA – (SBA)
- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA – (AVP)
- Williston, ND – (XWA)
ELITE AIRWAYS SUSPENSIONS
- Sarasota/Bradenton, FL – (SRQ)
FRONTIER AIRLINES SUSPENSIONS
- Greenville/Spartanburg, SC – (GSP)
- Mobile, AL – (MOB)
- Palm Springs, CA – (PSP)
- Portland, ME – (PWM)
- Tyler, TX – (TYR)
JETBLUE AIRWAYS SUSPENSIONS
- Albuquerque, NM – (ABQ)
- Palm Springs, CA – (PSP)
- Sacramento, CA – (SMF)
- Sarasota/Bradenton, FL – (SRQ)
- Worcester, MA – (ORH)
SEABORNE VIRGIN ISLANDS SUSPENSIONS
- St. Thomas, VI – (STT)
- St. Croix, VI – (STX)
- Culebra, PR – (CPX)
- San Juan, PR – (SJU)
- Vieques, PR – (VQS)
SILVER AIRWAYS SUSPENSIONS
- St. Thomas, VI – (STT)
- Huntsville, AL – (HSV)
- Key West, FL – (EYW)
- Tallahassee, FL – (TLH)
- Tampa, FL – (TPA)
SPIRIT AIRLINES SUSPENSIONS
- Asheville, NC – (AVL)
- St. Thomas, VI – (STT)
- St. Croix, VI – (STX)
- Greensboro/High Point, NC – (GSO)
- Plattsburgh, NY – (PBG)
SUN AIR EXPRESS SUSPENSIONS
- Nashville, TN – (BNA)
SUN COUNTRY AIRLINES SUSPENSIONS
- Madison, WI – (MSN)
- Philadelphia, PA – (PHL)
- Portland, OR – (PDX)
- Sacramento, CA – (SMF)
- St. Louis, MO – (STL)
UNITED AIRLINES SUSPENSIONS
- Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton, PA – (ABE)
- St. Thomas, VI – (STT)
- Chattanooga, TN – (CHA)
- Fairbanks, AK – (FAI)
- Hilton Head, SC – (HHH)
- Ithaca/Cortland, NY – (ITH)
- Kalamazoo, MI – (AZO)
- Key West, FL – (EYW)
- Lansing, MI – (LAN)
- Myrtle Beach, SC – (MYR)
- Rochester, MN – (RST)
