I flew from London to Dublin to be with my family during the coronavirus. Here's what it was like to fly in Europe as it shuts down over the outbreak.

I flew from London to Dublin on Monday night, and it was a truly eerie experience.
London's Stansted Airport was almost entirely deserted, and I had never seen a flight so empty.
I flew one day before the UK government advised against non-essential travel abroad , but the impact that the coronavirus was having on European travel was already stark.
Only one security line was open, many flights were canceled, and most shops were closed.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .

The novel coronavirus has created a nightmare for the airline industry, as reduced travel demand and countries shutting their borders means dramatically fewer passengers on flights.

I live in London, but decided to fly back to Ireland, where I am from, on Monday night to be with my family in light of the coronavirus.

I live alone in London and, with Business Insider's office closed and virtually everyone working from home,I faced the prospect of no human contact for an unknown amount of time.

I had been self-isolating for a week before traveling, and booked my flight and flew before the UK issued guidance on travel abroad . I will also not be leaving the house in Ireland, and am distancing myself from my family in the house.

I flew from London's Stansted Airport, which was almost entirely deserted, and my flight was the emptiest one I'd ever been on.

My experience isn't unusual: So few people are flying and so many flights have been canceled, major airlines on the European continent have been issuing warnings about their future. UK airports have warned that they could close within weeks without government intervention.

Here's what my experience was like.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider