Think Airport Crowding Is Bad Now? Wait ’Til Summer

After more than two years of debate, the appetite to travel again has yielded a predictable result: Many airports and airlines are unprepared for a massive surge in traffic, and things might get worse this summer.

It was an opportunity to see if air travel could meet the demands of the Covid crisis. Bad weather and thousands of canceled flights made it a failed test for the industry. Stories of flyers abandoning their rental cars to catch flights amid endless lines and pilots sleeping in airports are becoming more and more common.

Even with a higher-than-inflation hike in flight prices caused by fuel-cost increases and other factors, airports are expected to be packed this summer. What can you do to avoid the chaos? Some air- travel experts gave us their tips for navigating the situation.

What is the cause of these snarls at US airports?

Demand is up as travel restrictions have been lifted and some coronavirus numbers have gone down. High gasoline prices are putting kibosh on long road trips. More people are stuck at airports because of canceled or delayed flights due to technical issues or low staffing.

Staffing cutbacks in the transportation industry have created a lean system that leaves little margin for error, especially when weather comes into play, according to Daniel Findley, associate director at the Institute for Transportation Research and Education in North Carolina.

You can see it on the supply chain and material side. When one thing breaks, is there another pilot and flight crew that can come in when some critical engine part needs to be replaced? You missed a whole day of flights and connections.

The Great Resignation and other factors could also contribute to canceled flights, delays at security lines, and staffing issues.

Findley says that Covid fears, overseas travel restrictions, and high flight prices are making more Americans stay in the US and contribute to domestic airport crowding.

Whether they are going to regional beaches or national parks has affected our domestic market.

How long will this last?

Staffing cuts at airlines and airports and among government security agents for air travel have been unprecedented, largely due to the steep drop in demand for flights in 2020 and 2021. William Rankin is a professor of airport management at the Florida Institute of Technology. After the September 11 terrorist attacks, the closest we have seen to this situation was.

The entire system was shut down for several days after 9/11. It was three to four weeks of disruption, but then the time to gear back up was probably six to nine months before we were at full capacity. He doesn't know how long it will take after Covid.