Why Airlines Are Flying Scores of 'Ghost Flights' During Wuhan Virus Outbreak

The Wuhan virus is spreading fear around the globe thanks to a Trump deranged and irresponsible media. This isn’t some superbug, folks. The seasonal flu is still deadlier. Now, that’s not to say you shouldn’t wash your hands regularly or take any of the precautions recommended by health officials that greatly reduce the chance of you getting sick. Regardless, those most at risk are the usual suspects: the elderly and the immunocompromised. A large chunk of the deaths in the U.S. from the WuFlu, which is extremely low compared to seasonal flu, stems from the Washington nursing facility. Yet, this outbreak has done something else. It’s forced airlines to waste thousands on fuel on so-called ghost flights to avoid having their slots handed off to competitors. As Business Insider reported, Europe has a regulation stating that an airline must run 80 percent of its flights to avoid having their slots being allocated elsewhere: