ToplineThe beginning of summer travel season has brought about what is expected to be the busiest weekend since the pandemic that slowed travel demand. While the number of passengers flying to the United States could stay below pre-Covid levels for many years, signs point to a difficult recovery for the airlines.Long lines of travelers form to get through the South Security Checkpoint at Denver International Airport. ASSOCIATED PRNSThe Key FactsNearly 4.1 million passengers were screened by the Transportation Security Administration Friday and Saturday. This is nearly four times the number of passengers processed one year ago and marks the busiest weekend start since March 2020. "Were witnessing extremely high volumes at BNA this morning," Nashville’s international airport. The agency, which is one of many struggling to cope with the increase in passengers, advised travelers Sunday that they should arrive at least two hours prior to their flight during the busy summer travel season. This big weekend of travel comes days after American Airlines announced that it would cancel almost 1,000 flights through mid July to ease the labor shortages in the industry. The announcement was made by American Airlines just days before. Dennis Tajer, spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, said that the airline may have bitten off too much with its busy summer travel schedule. The airline had laid off more then 30,000 employees last year. In February, it warned of 13,000 more layoffs. Record-breaking travel times and longer wait times at airports have coincided with an unprecedented increase in unruly passengers. One example is a man who got into an altercation aboard a Los Angeles flight Friday, then jumped off the moving plane.Important Quote"The first few weeks in June brought unprecedented weather to our biggest hubs. This has severely affected our operation, causing delays and disruptions to crew member schedules as well as our customers' plans," a spokesperson for the United States said last week.Large Number3,082. This is how many unruly passenger complaints the Federal Aviation Administration received so far this year. The vast majority involved customers refusing to wear masks. The reports have already sparked 487 investigations by 2021, more than double the number of investigations last year and more than any year in record.Surprising FactAfter a pause in the program because of Covid-19 restrictions, the TSA will resume self-defense training for flight crewmembers in July. TSA stated in a Thursday statement that "unruly passenger incidents are on the rise" and added that it was committed to providing flight crews with another tool to keep their skies safe.Important BackgroundThe coronavirus pandemic that hampered travel caused shares in U.S. airlines to plummet last year, causing multi-billion dollar losses for the industry. The pandemic resulted in an estimated 400,000 workers being fired, furloughed, or being told that they might lose their jobs. In a research note, Tom Kozlik, Texas-based Hilltop Securities' head of municipal credit and strategy, stated that it took years for enplanements, not months, to recover from pre-crisis levels. He said that the same thing is likely to occur this time around, and predicted that air travel would take until 2023 to fully recover.What to WatchAirlines are also expecting a huge holiday weekend. Although travel is still about 20% below levels pre-pandemic, AAA predicts that nearly 3.5 Million Americans will fly to the Fourth of July weekend. This would be 90% of levels prior to the pandemic, and represent a 40% increase on last year.Continue readingAmerican Airlines Cancels Hundreds of Flights Because Of Labor Shortage (Forbes).Airlines Lose More Than 400,00 WorkersUnited Airlines Announces Another 14,000 Job May be Lost (Forbes).
