Airlines for America expects another record summer for air travel
The grounding of Boeing 737 Max jets won’t stop another record summer for air travel in the US.
Even though thousands of flights have been and continue to be canceled, trade group Airlines for America expects air passenger traffic to rise 3.4% this summer to more than 257 million.
A4A expects an additional 93,000 passengers a day from June 1 to the end of August, and airlines are laying on an extra 111,000 seats to meet the demand.
If its forecast is accurate, it will be the 10th year in a row of summer air travel growth.
The group says airfares were down for the fourth consecutive year in 2018 when adjusted for inflation.
"It is now more affordable than ever before," said A4A chief economist John Heimlich, without referencing the record ancillary fees airlines are raking in from customers.
"US carriers are making airline flights more and more accessible so it’s no surprise that more and more Americans are flying.
The trade group took the opportunity to call for action over security concerns at the southern border.
A4A says travel and trade could be significantly impacted due to longer border checkpoint wait times as Customs officers are diverted from US airports.
"This would discourage leisure and business travel to the US and jeopardize the economic benfits that come with it,"
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports