Honor Flights abandoned for remainder of 2020

The Honor Flight Network has cancelled all trips through the end of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Honor Flights, which take veterans to tour the war memorials in Washington, typically transport around 40,000 veterans a year, and the organization would have hit it’s 250,000 trip milestone this year, reported Stars and Stripes.

“Unfortunately, large-group travel is expected to remain a risk for the remainder of the year for the vulnerable population of veterans served by Honor Flight,” the organization said in a statement. 

“The vast majority of these veterans fall into the CDC’s high-risk category. Many of the veterans also live in community settings, such as retirement homes or assisted living facilities, where the risk of spreading illness is extremely high.”

Initially, the Honor Flight Network canceled trips though April 30th, later extending the cancellations through June, then August. For now, the organization plans to resume flights in 2021.