The number of people walking through airport security on Wednesday was more than double the number on the same day last year.
Michael Clancey wears an elf hat as he waits for his luggage at Miami International Airport.
The images are from the same company.
The number of passengers who passed through airports on Wednesday increased by almost 75% compared to the same day two years ago, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
Air travel volumes have been below pre- Covid levels this year, but they have surpassed them on three occasions, including a day in late August and two days preceding the 4th of July.
Air travel has been robust this week, with some 2.09 million people passing through the checkpoint every day on average, an increase of over one million people from last year.
Delta Airlines expects 7.8 million passengers in the 18-day period surrounding Christmas, compared to 9.3 million last year, and United Airlines expects travel this week and next to be 13% below pre-pandemic levels.
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The Sunday after Thanksgiving was the busiest day for airlines since the start of the Pandemic. The Thanksgiving travel season is slower than usual, with screenings dropping 15% from the same day in 2019.
In April 2020, the number of air travel flights plummeted to a low point of 87,534 on one day, a drop of 96% from the same day in 2019. The gradual return of passengers to the skies earlier this year made some airlines optimistic that Covid-19 vaccines could fuel a recovery of business and leisure travel. The coronaviruses have surged in the last week as the omicron variant takes root, causing some experts to predict a wintertime surge. An advisor to the International Air Transport Association said earlier this week that omicron may double or triple the risk of catching Covid-19 on an airplane. This new threat has not deterred holiday travel so far.
The quote is crucial.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told Good Morning America on Monday that domestic demand has not dropped off, despite the fact that international demand has decreased.
Surprising fact.
Omicron could take workers out of commission and disrupt airlines operations. The United Airlines canceled more than 100 flights on Christmas Eve. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was urged by Airlines for America to cut its recommended isolation period for fully vaccined Covid-19 patients from 10 days to five because of the risk of staff disruptions.
The Airline Trade Body says that airplane passengers are twice as likely to catch Covid-19.
Good weather is helping American Airlines operations.
