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HEALTH-VIRUS-US-AVIATION
US air travel hits highest level since March 2020
WASHINGTON, March 14, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – Airports in the United States saw
their largest number of passengers in a year on Friday, data showed,
following a shuddering halt in travel brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Just over 1.35 million travelers were checked in at American airports on
Friday, the most since March 15 last year, according to Transportation Safety
Administration figures.
Despite the recovery, volume is still nearly half of what it would
normally be this time of year.
The previous high since the onset of the coronavirus crisis was seen on
January 3, with nearly 1.33 million passengers.
Air traffic had plunged to a record low 87,534 passengers on April 14.
The United States has been battered by the world’s biggest reported
outbreak of the virus, with some 534,000 deaths.
However, the country has administered over 100 million doses of the
vaccine and new cases numbers have fallen from their highs over the holiday
season.
BSS/AFP/MSY/0902 hrs