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Travel Through John Wayne Airport Plummets 97.2% In April Compared To Last Year

SANTA ANA (CBSLA) — Airline passenger traffic plummeted at John Wayne Airport in April, compared to the same month last year.

John Wayne Airport officials says the Orange County travel hub served 25,313 passengers in April, a decrease of 97.2% from April 2019, which saw a passenger traffic count of 899,186.

Commercial and commuter aircraft operations have also taken a dive of 78.4% and 71.2%, respectively. The airport says general aviation activity has decreased 40% in April of this year, compared to the same month last year.

The top three airlines to continue operating out of John Wayne Airport are Southwest Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Airlines.

The precipitous drop in traffic at John Wayne Airport is in line with other airports in the region. Los Angeles International Airport, typically one of the busiest airports in the world, saw its commercial air traffic drop 95% and is facing a potential $315 million budget shortfall. The steep drop in demand forced Delta Airlines to halt service to Burbank and Long Beach airports. Hundreds of empty jets are parked at Victorville airport.

Travel bans to China and Europe remain in place, and a new travel ban to Brazil took effect this week because the country has the most coronavirus-related deaths in the world after the U.S.

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