Apr 8, 2020 - Health

Coronavirus prompting historic drop in air travel and jet fuel demand

Adapted from Rystad Energy; Chart: Axios Visuals

Air travel — and the jet fuel powering it — are plummeting alongside most other parts of our modern economy as vast swaths of the world shut down to fight the coronavirus.

The big picture: Data that has newly become available shows the dramatic impact of global shutdowns, which will reverberate across the livelihoods of people working in these sectors.

By the numbers:

Global oil demand for jet fuel has evaporated to 35% of normal levels in April and May, consultancy Rystad Energy projected Wednesday.
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration screened a record low 97,130 people at airport checkpoints on Tuesday, compared to more than 2 million this time last year, a TSA spokeswoman said on Twitter.

What we're watching: Rystad predicts that jet fuel demand will gradually pick back up, but by December will still be far lower than pre-coronavirus levels.

Go deeper: Coronavirus fuels huge drop in gasoline demand

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