After COVID-19 hit, the number of people traveling by air decreased substantially due to heightened feelings of anxiety concerning virus exposure. However, now that more and more citizens are getting vaccinated, flying is, once again, becoming a popular mode of transportation.
Despite the fact that many have been timid to fly during the pandemic, for some, flying was simply their only choice. English teacher Kyle Chapman has traveled three times during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he explains that he has become less nervous with every flight.
“The first time I flew during [the pandemic] was in September or October of this year,” Mr. Chapman said. “The idea of planes flying places was totally kind of new, and that’s what made me kind of scared.” He also stated that during that time, COVID-19 was largely still a mystery. “We still didn’t know a lot about COVID-19 and how it was transmitted, so I was definitely very nervous for that flight,” he said.
As Mr. Chapman prepares for his flight to visit his mother, he states that the vaccine has had an impact on how safe he feels. “I’ve been vaccinated for a few months, so I’m not really nervous to fly at all this time,” he said.
On the other hand, eighth-grader Emma St. Clair has yet to travel during the pandemic; however, she is flying to Colorado this summer. “I am nervous about flying because we are going to be in a tight space with a lot of people, ” she said. But despite being in a tight space, Emma has warmed up to this idea of flying. “I’ve opened up to it now, especially after people are getting vaccinated,” Emma said. “People have done it and come back fine, so it seems like the airlines are doing a good job with keeping people safe.”
Although many people’s opinions on air travel have changed as a result of the pandemic, others’ opinions haven’t; this is true for sixth-grader Ethan Gingeleskie. “As long as everyone is socially distanced in the airport, and everyone is keeping their mask on while on the plane then I think flying is safe,” Ethan said.
Now that more people are vaccinated, the idea of traveling by air is believed to be a lot safer and, as a result, many more individuals are willing to fly once again.
