You're not seeing things. There are fewer people at airports around the world as the new coronavirus disease spreads throughout cities. In some of the areas hardest hit by the virus like China, South Korea, and Italy, travel is restricted and it's definitely noticeable.
For the airline industry, this is a major blow. Carriers like United, Delta, and Alaska are changing cancellation policies to allow free flight changes for the next year. The International Air Transport Association puts losses anywhere from $63 billion to $113 billion, depending on the spread of the respiratory disease.
The San Francisco International Airport spokesperson Doug Yakel explained that February numbers from airlines won't come in until the end of March, but flight schedules have been drastically reduced. Flights to China, Hong Kong, South Korean, Singapore, Japan, and Taiwan from SFO went from 204 planned for each week in March to 99 flights, marking over a 50 percent drop.
So while travel is still happening (note travel restrictions for certain countries), the regular hustle and bustle is tempered. Take a look at airports in recent weeks compared to activity before the COVID-19 (coronavirus' official name) outbreak. In some places, airports remain fairly busy, but travelers are masking up and taking precautions.
Back in October, traveling in Beijing's newest airport was way busier.Credit: Zhang Dagang / VCG via Getty Images
Beijing Daxing International Airport is eerily empty these days.Credit: Andrea Verdelli / Getty Images
Hong Kong International in more bustling days.Credit: Gregor Fischer / picture alliance via Getty Images
These days it's emptied out.Credit: Vernon Yuen / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Back in 2016, Czech tennis player Petra Kvitova came to Wuhan's Tianhe International Airport before coronavirus spread from the city.Credit: Visual China Group via Getty Images / Visual China Group via Getty Images
With travel bans in place in and out of Wuhan, the Wuhan airport is deserted.Credit: LEO RAMIREZ / AFP via Getty Images
The Hanoi airport in busier times.Credit: Schöning/ullstein bild via Getty Images
The arrival hall of Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi is now practically cleared out.Credit: MLADEN ANTONOV / AFP via Getty Images
SFO is still busy with only a 2.5 percent reduction in overall weekly flights because of coronavirus, but travelers are still wearing face masks as a precaution.Credit: Yichuan Cao / NurPhoto via Getty Images
The coronavirus outbreak has hit Italy hard with more than 3,000 cases and over 100 deaths. Here's an empty Treviso airport, near Venice, where travelers are wearing masks.Credit: Jacopo Landi / NurPhoto via Getty ImagesTopicsCOVID-19
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