Pandemic redraws US airline route maps as business travel falters

US airlines are redrawing the flight map of America as they cut routes that the Covid-19 pandemic rendered unviable and add new service to cities that have prospered during the pandemic. A widespread reshuffling is under way, with less service to traditional business hubs and jets redeployed to holiday destinations and on-the-rise cities, according to domestic flight data from Cirium, an aviation consultancy. Meanwhile, some less populated regions were further isolated as carriers reduced service. US airlines could also trim more flights to contend with jet fuel prices that have soared since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine affected oil markets. The number of domestic flights scheduled at 11 mainline US airlines was 1.63mn in the first quarter of 2022, down 12 per cent compared with the same period in 2019, a Financial Times analysis of the Cirium data showed. The country’s largest carriers, American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta, together had 14.8% fewer domestic flights on their rosters and 8.3% fewer seats. Persistent weakness in travel for business has led the declines. US airlines reported in recent earnings calls that business travel was running at about 60% of pre-pandemic levels for United and Delta and only 40% for large corporations flying on American. Domestic flights into Chicago’s two major airports were down more than 20% in Q1 2022, with routes to business centres and international connection hubs such as Boston, New York and Washington particularly affected, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation. Story has more details.<br/>