Each holiday weekend of 2021 has brought a new air travel record — Easter weekend, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, and now Fourth of July. Over the last weekend, air travel saw a significant surge as celebrating Americans flocked to their nearest airport. Just like that — our hopes of returning to pre-pandemic travel are high once again. Here’s a look at the record-breaking numbers…
The United States hit a new record of airport passenger screening for the first week of July. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported that it screened more people on Wednesday, July 1, and Thursday, July 2 than it did on the same exact dates in 2019.
On July 1, TSA officers screened 2,147,090 people at airport security checkpoints nationwide. On the same day in 2019, they screened 2,088,760. The pattern continued on July 2, with 2,196,411 people screened and on the same day in 2019, 2,184,253 people screened. The record for the highest number of travelers in a single day so far in 2021 was also on July 2.
Air travel is averaging 2 million passengers daily so far in July. In stark contrast, July 2020 air travel averaged only 687,619 passengers daily.
For more information, check out the TSA Checkpoint Travel Numbers: https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput
According to the numbers, air travel is back and booming. So, what’s next? As the number of travelers continues to grow, the airlines need to continue to grow. With air travel in high demand, several United States airlines are expanding their fleets to accommodate more flights and more passengers. In late June, United Airlines announced the purchase of 270 new single-aisle planes from Boeing and Airbus, the largest expansion and aircraft purchase in the United States in over a decade. Not only is United Airlines expanding their aircraft fleet, but they are also expanding their transatlantic flight options to Croatia, Greece, and a number of European cities as U.S. tourist restrictions begin to be lifted.
As summer travel rages on, travelers can expect to see busier airports, longer lines, and more packed flights, similar to how it was pre-pandemic. But don’t let the current travel surge stop you from visiting all of the destinations you’ve been eagerly waiting to experience. To ensure you’re all set and ready to catch your next flight, App in the Air serves as your travel assistant by updating you on the status of your flight and the wait times of airport security lines. Travel is officially back!