"Ghost flights" as people know them are flights that are empty or almost empty. It's normal that it happens once in while, specially during some important holiday such as chirstmas and new years, however the problem of ghost flights is getting bigger as the European commission (EU) are forcing them to flight, so that they can mantain their "placeholders".
Once of the stated purpoes is to let smaller airliens have a chance agaisnt established airliens that currently dominate entire fractions of airport availability.
This "slot" problem has been going on since 2016, but since the new COVID-19, the number of ghost flights has increased. Due to this, a lot of people have been discussing about the ethical problems of selling cheap tickets as it lures people to book a trip that otherwise they wouldn't buy.
Fortunately, the bargain-basement prices haven't been enough to persuade people to continue unnecessary flying. And the EU has just proposed a suspension of teh slots policy in order to stop the ghost flights.
The cancellation of passenger flights and fright cargos in response to the COVID-19 has lead to a lowest overall emission levles in at least 10 years! talk about side effects.