I didn’t fly for almost a year after 9/11. Even with enhanced security measures (TSA was established in November 2001) and a vigilant government, I couldn’t bring myself to do it; I had worked with a man who, along with his young family, was killed on United Flight 175 when it slammed into the World Trade Center. It took everything I had to step on a plane again.

As you can imagine, I wasn’t the only one who felt this way. Flights were grounded; people were scared. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, it took nearly three years for the airline industry to return to pre-9/11 levels. And, airlines lost a total of $55 billion. That’s billion with a B.

But time heals and as a society, no matter what we’ve been through, the pull to return to our own definition of “normalcy” is a strong one. People began to fly again, albeit with nervousness at first, as well as new and far more stringent security.

I also flew again, and over time, flying became my life once more. I was the epitome of a “road warrior,” an executive who found herself almost every week on a plane traveling to various corporate locations, customer sites, global industry events, and back again to my own office. That went on unabated for years.

Until February 29, 2020.

After Skillsoft’s annual Growth Summit and a quick trip with my family, I returned to Boston’s Logan airport on the last day of February, at which point domestic and international travel was all but halted. Here I was: the frequent-est of frequent fliers, having achieved elite status with both airlines and hotels because of the many (frankly, too many) miles I traveled every week, of every year. But, I was grounded like almost everybody else. According to Airports Council International (ACI) world data, global passenger traffic declined in April by an unprecedented 94.4% year over year as a result of the pandemic.

And not unlike the post-9/11 era, air travel has changed dramatically.

I saw it firsthand when I traveled to Texas last Friday for a two-day trip to check on my mother. She wasn’t sick, thank goodness, but the pandemic has left her fairly isolated, something a Zoom call just cannot fix. I arrived at the airport armed with every potential weapon I would need — masks, goggles, gloves, antiseptic wipes, hand sanitizer — like someone venturing into a warzone or at the very least, a malarial hot spot. I’d also packed a small bag of food, which would come in handy since the airlines have stopped serving. And while the airport and planes were both fairly empty, every individual whom I passed was wearing a mask; they’re required now in airports and during the entirety of the flight for passengers and crew alike.

Flying under these conditions was surreal, like something out of a blockbuster movie from the 1990s. But, it was also strangely reassuring. Every person I came in contact with (socially-distanced contact, of course) was looking out for him or herself, but also for each other. We were determined, as fellow human beings, to go where we needed to go but to keep ourselves and our fellow fliers safe — even though there were exponentially fewer of us.

I have no doubt that air travel will return to pre-COVID levels over time, but that won’t be for quite a while. There is still fear and uncertainty about the dangers and, frankly, the inconveniences it causes.

And, that said, no matter how many people return to the friendly skies, I do believe this will change air travel irrevocably just as 9/11 did. Even if there is a vaccine or treatment, I think it will be far more commonplace for people to wear masks when they have a cold or flu (or simply want to avoid one) … and that airlines will mandate their use in the event of potential illness to ensure the safety of passengers. But, unlike 9/11, the pandemic isn’t an isolated point in time. 9/11, as catastrophic and tragic as it was, turned out to be a massive external terrorist threat that the country rallied around to fight. The pandemic is quiet and insidious and thrives on complacency. So, I expect we’ll need to remain vigilant, particularly as we travel to restore trust and faith in the industry.

That said, would I get back on a plane again? Yes. The visit with my mother made the trip and my state’s mandatory fourteen-day quarantine (with or without a negative test) worthwhile. We’ve all struggled to stay connected even as a global health crisis has forced us to disconnect from so much that’s familiar. It’s been a particularly sad time for our older friends and family. Less versed in technology, and more at risk from contagion, they’re understandably worried and lonely. Everyone needs to take care, but if there’s a safe way to reach out to your loved ones, by Zoom, by car, or in my case, by plane, I encourage you to do so.

For myself, I’ll be back on a plane, masked up and ready to go, the moment my mother needs to see her daughter’s face again in person.