US air-passenger traffic tops pre-pandemic levels of 2019

Airline passenger traffic in the US has been running above the comparable levels of 2019, the first time that’s happened since Covid-19 dramatically cut air travel. 

Just over 15 million people went through Transportation Security Administration security portals in the past seven days, about 39,000 more than in 2019, or an increase of less than 1%, according to TSA data. 

Even as travel demand has rebounded, weekly passenger totals have been hovering well below historic levels, the result of staffing shortages, reduced airline schedules and other issues. The rolling seven-day total has held above the same period in 2019 since Oct. 27, according to TSA.

Passenger traffic has occasionally topped pre-pandemic levels in recent months, but only during unusual periods, such as when holidays have fallen in different weeks. 

The uptick comes in a traditionally slack period for travel. The recent volume is still well below the 18 million people a week who flew during peaks in the summer of 2019.