Hong Kong Airport As Virus Causes Traffic Slump
Photographer: Justin Chin/Bloomberg
Travel

How Coronavirus Will Forever Change Airlines and the Way We Fly

  • Carriers may change cabin layouts, fly to fewer destinations
  • Decades-long era of falling international fares could be over

Higher fares, fewer routes, pre-flight health checks and less free food: The coronavirus pandemic is ushering in a new era of air travel.

A seismic shift is underway as the world’s airlines reassess their operations and how they will look emerging from the crisis. At eerily empty airports, mask-wearing and social distancing already show a behavioral change among the few staff and travelers left. A long shakeup lies ahead that is set to touch almost every aspect of flying after limits on movement unwind.