Visual analysis of changes in European air transport during the COVID-19 pandemic from interactive maps

Abstract

Abstract The paper explores the substantial decline in European air transport during 2020, while employing interactive maps for visual analysis. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (2020) economic analysis, there was a sharp 60% global reduction in passenger traffic during the combined second, third, and fourth quarters, equivalent to about 2.7 billion fewer passengers than in 2019. The established air traffic flow, which developed over decades, faced partial disruption due to COVID-19 restrictions. Consequently, the aviation industry strategically focused on restructuring to ensure the sustained operation of major air transport routes. Using OpenSky Network data and a Google Sheets environment for storage, our study utilizes the FlowmapBlue interactive platform to visualize the 2020 European airspace, and to define key air traffic corridors. Despite the substantial decline, the visualization reveals resilient routes and crucial connections, underscoring the imperative of preserving these links for effective crisis response in the future.