Will airlines struggle to meet demand again this summer?

1 year ago 12

(NerdWallet) - There are lingering concerns that air travel this summer could once again be hectic for flyers.

Despite cautious optimism that the busy season should run more smoothly than 2022, top travel industry leaders fear the threat of delays, cancellations and long waits may not be over for passengers.

“We know the system is going to be stretched,” said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, which represents airlines, hotels and tourism agencies across the travel sector.

Speaking to reporters on April 26, Freeman spoke of an air travel system “struggling to handle the demand,” which is “likely to create substantial frustration.”

The pre-summer warning comes as passengers have flooded airports at rates not seen since 2019.

Between March 2020 and December 2022, there was only one day on which TSA agents at U.S. checkpoints screened more than 2.5 million passengers: November 27, 2022, also known as the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

Single-day checkpoint volume has exceeded that mark well over a dozen times since March 10 of this year.

“And we don’t see that slowing down,” interim Federal Aviation Administration administrator Billy Nolen told Congress April 26.