Alaska Airlines adds to winter schedule, citing passenger confidence

Seattle-based Alaska Airlines will launch a number of new seasonal routes for the upcoming winter travel season. From Nov. 19 to April 18, it will operate 5X-weekly flights between Austin, Texas (AUS) and Palm Springs, California (PSP). The fights will be operated by wholly owned regional affiliate Horizon Air using Embraer E175 aircraft. From Dec. […]

April Travel Demand a Tale of Two Markets: Domestic Recovery and International Stagnation

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that domestic travel demand improved in April 2021 compared to the prior month, although it remained well below pre-pandemic levels, while recovery in international passenger travel continued to be stalled in the face of government-imposed travel restrictions. Because comparisons between 2021 and 2020 monthly results are distorted by […]

US airports continue to see strong passenger throughput

Daily passenger throughput at US airports has been approaching the 2 million mark on peak travel days, the latest sign that pent-up demand is fueling a rebound in domestic route networks. Passenger numbers screened by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) hit 1.96 million on May 28, the highest daily total in more than a year. […]

Optimism When Borders Reopen

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Tourism Economics released a long-term view for post-COVID-19 passenger demand recovery which demonstrates that people remain eager to travel in the short and long-term. To ensure that aviation can sustainably deliver its social and economic benefits as it meets this long-term demand, it is critical that governments step-up […]

March Domestic Demand Sees Upsurge but International Travel Still Largely Shutdown

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that passenger traffic fell in March 2021 compared to pre-COVID levels (March 2019) but rose compared to the immediate month prior (February 2021). Because comparisons between 2021 and 2020 monthly results are distorted by the extraordinary impact of COVID-19, unless otherwise noted all comparisons are to March 2019, […]

U.S. air travelers top 1.5 million for first time since March 2020

The number of U.S. air passengers screened topped 1.5 million Sunday for the first time since March 2020, as air travel continues to rebound from a pandemic-related drop, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said Monday. COVID-19 devastated air travel demand, with U.S. airline passengers down 60% in 2020. But with a growing number of […]

British Airways starts to trial COVID-19 document certification on BA.com

British Airways’ customers eligible to travel to India are now able to upload their negative Covid-19 test results and other travel declaration forms directly into their booking on the airline’s website ba.com, in advance of travel. The new initiative is being trialled as part of the airline’s efforts to simplify the departure process as it […]

Passenger Demand Recovery Grinds to a Halt in November

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the recovery in passenger demand which had been slowing since the Northern hemisphere’s summer travel season, came to a halt in November 2020. Total demand (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) was down 70.3% compared to November 2019, virtually unchanged from the 70.6% year-to-year decline recorded […]

Passenger Recovery Disappoints in October

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the recovery of passenger demand continued to be disappointingly slow in October. Total demand (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) was down 70.6% compared to October 2019. This was just a modest improvement from the 72.2% year-to-year decline recorded in September. Capacity was down 59.9% compared […]

Delta announces ‘quarantine free’ flights from Atlanta to Rome

For the first time since the coronavirus pandemic swept across Europe and the United States, a pilot program will allow a limited number of passengers to travel across the Atlantic from Atlanta to Italy without having to quarantine upon arrival, according to a Delta Air Lines news release on Thursday. The airline said it had […]