COLUMBUS, Ohio — Like just about every industry, air travel took a hit during COVID-19, leaving many flights and terminals eerily empty throughout much of 2020.

What You Need To Know

• Air travel experts say passenger numbers are higher than they were before COVID


• Experts say business travel has improved in recent months


• Experts says airlines, in some ways, still operate differently because of the pandemic

“It actually it spoiled us because it was very nice. It was empty. We were on one time we were on a plane that there were seven of us, and they just told us to spread out. So, I actually felt safer. I wasn't worried about germs. The airport was empty. We could go right through TSA," said Dixie Lundquist, who flew several times during COVID.

But now, CEO of ATG Business Travel Management Tammy Krings said passenger numbers are higher than they were before COVID with business travel improving in recent months.

“A trend that is a bit unexpected is that meetings, incentives, conferences and events are skyrocketing,” Krings said. “Now, they want their people to get together, working together, and a lot of them still work remotely, so that’s the only time they may see each other.”

But while airport capacity has changed since COVID, some things haven’t.

“Early on when COVID hit the airlines started looking at how the air circulates through the plane, so that the air could be purified,” Krings said. “Those are still in play and they're better than, and their boarding process, they improved more people at the counter. That was something that they did during COVID. That continues for the most part to be an initiative with most of the domestic airlines.”

Even travelers, like Lundquist, have adapted the way they approach flying now.

“I liked some things that COVID brought on,” Lundquist said. “I'm a little bit OCD. I still pack my Clorox wipes, whether we have COVID or not.”