Billions around the world are staying home, confined to their neighborhoods by the coronavirus pandemic.
But as we walk those quiet streets on the way to the grocery store or getting some essential exercise, the silence is still broken by the intermittent distant hum of a jet engine in the skies above.
Where are these planes going, who is on them, and why?
Chances are that any airplane you spot right now is carrying hitherto stranded nationals on their way home (yes, there are still many repatriation flights throughout May), or medics, heading towards Covid-19 hotspots. The other main reason for planes in the sky is cargo flights, brimming with food, medicines, and personal protective equipment (PPE).
"It would be irresponsible at the moment to be promoting non-essential travel," says Abby Penston, CEO of UK-based travel consortium Focus Travel Partnership. However, as lockdown continues, "We're starting to see that technology has a place, but it's not the be-all and end-all. People need to travel, people need to meet, people need to connect."
As measures are implemented at airports to detect potentially unwell passengers pre-flight, and steps are taken on board to curb transmission of the virus amongst passengers and crew, some airlines are operating skeleton services to facilitate essential travel, gradually scaling up as we head towards summer.
Here's what air travel is looking like right now and in the coming months: Which airlines are flying where, why and how.
