Airlines for America projects that 51 million passengers will travel on U.S. carriers worldwide during the 21-day winter holiday period from Dec. 15 through Jan. 4. This forecast represents a 3.5% increase compared with the roughly 49.3 million passengers who traveled during the same period last year.
To handle an estimated 80,000 additional passengers each day, airlines are providing approximately 91,000 more seats daily by adding flights and deploying larger aircraft on key routes.
“With affordable fares and expanded route options, flying to see family, friends and loved ones this holiday season is more accessible than ever before,” said John Heimlich, vice president and chief economist at Airlines for America. “Intense competition within the airline industry is enabling passengers to choose the flights that best match their preferences and budgets.”
He also noted that despite recent severe weather events, including Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, operational performance has remained strong: flight completion and on-time arrival rates have stayed high, while mishandled baggage incidents and involuntary denied boardings have fallen to historically low levels. These improvements should help travelers during the busy holiday period.
Airlines for America identifies Dec. 21, Dec. 22 and Dec. 26 as the busiest travel days of the season, each expected to see more than 2.7 million passengers. The lightest days are forecast to be Dec. 16, Dec. 24, Dec. 25 and Dec. 31, each with just under 2 million passengers.