PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Nearly 100 idle planes are parked at the Pittsburgh International Airport as the coronavirus outbreak is hitting the airline industry hard.
The Pittsburgh International Airport says staff have identified parking spots for the 100 American Airlines and Republic Airways planes, including taxiways, runways and deicing pads.
Grounded aircraft are finding a place to park at PIT and other U.S. airports. Nearly 100 planes are lined up on our airfield. More from Blue Sky News here: https://t.co/K65dV1eQxf pic.twitter.com/JCIfi34vv8
— Pittsburgh International Airport (@PITairport) March 30, 2020
The airport has the capacity to handle up to 140 idle planes.
“First and foremost, we want to give the airlines a way to respond to this drop in travel demand,” said Bryan Dietz, Vice President of Air Service Development, in a press release. “We want to give them a place that they can easily and efficiently consolidate their aircraft parking.”
(Photo Credit: Pittsburgh International Airport)
“At the same time, we also want to help them prepare for recovery. That way, they can quickly and efficiently launch operations when the time comes.”
What American Airline planes are up in the air are suspending 60 percent of their capacity on flights in April and up to 80 percent in May.
The airport says it’s unclear when the planes will fly again.