Daily and hourly airport traffic is crucial for businesses related to airports, including airport authorities, airlines, retailers, ground handlers, rental car companies, and hotels. If you belong to any of these industries, utilizing daily airport traffic data can help you plan your operations, schedule your resources, forecast revenue, and plan budgets more accurately. Additionally, this data can help you target your marketing and promotional efforts more specifically, leading to more effective business strategies.
FlightBI collects and normalizes the airport passenger throughput data from US Transportation Security Administration (TSA). In addition, it has developed a product called Fligence TSA, which features a wide variety of data visualizations. FlightBI is currently offering a one-week, no-obligation trial of Fligence TSA for you to explore valuable insights from the airport traffic data.
This article summarizes US air traffic using the aforementioned tool, utilizing actual airport-level data as of March 28, 2026. Our analysis will examine trends in different segments of air travel, such as domestic versus international flights and leisure versus business travel. To learn more about the specific airports chosen to represent these markets, please refer to this article.
U.S. Airport Traffic Overview
As shown in Figure 1, U.S. airport traffic recovered steadily throughout February and accelerated into March following the sharp decline observed in late January.
In early February, passenger throughput remained near recent lows at approximately 2.0–2.2 million daily passengers, reflecting residual disruptions from severe winter weather across large parts of the country. These disruptions included widespread flight cancellations, aircraft repositioning challenges, and operational backlog at major hubs.
By mid-February, traffic began to stabilize and gradually increased. Into March, passenger throughput continued to rise, reaching approximately 2.6–2.7 million daily passengers toward the end of the month.
Traffic levels in March tracked closely with 2025 patterns, indicating that the impact of the January weather event was temporary and that underlying travel demand remained strong. The upward trend also aligns with seasonal factors, including the start of spring break travel across many U.S. regions.
Figure 1: US Overall Air Traffic Trend
Domestic Airport Traffic Indicator
Figure 2 highlights trends at representative domestic hubs, including CLT, DEN, and PHX.
Domestic traffic showed a relatively smooth recovery pattern during this period. After starting February below prior-year levels, throughput improved steadily through the month.
By late February, domestic traffic had largely returned to typical seasonal patterns. Throughout March, traffic levels closely tracked those observed in 2025, with relatively minor deviations.
Compared to other segments, domestic travel experienced less volatility and recovered more quickly from the January disruption. This reflects the flexibility of domestic travel demand, supported by shorter booking windows and more adaptable airline capacity.
Improved weather conditions across much of the country in February also contributed to more stable operations and consistent recovery in this segment.
Figure 2: US Domestic Air Traffic Indicator
International Airport Traffic Indicator
Figure 3 illustrates trends at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), used as a proxy for international travel.
International traffic showed a more uneven recovery compared to domestic trends. In February, throughput remained below prior-year levels and exhibited noticeable fluctuations throughout the month.
These variations likely reflect the complexity of international travel, including longer booking cycles and greater sensitivity to operational disruptions and schedule adjustments.
During March, traffic improved gradually and moved closer to 2025 levels. However, compared to domestic and leisure segments, international traffic remained less stable and showed more variability on a day-to-day basis.
Figure 3: US International Air Traffic Indicator
Leisure Air Traffic Indicator
Figure 4 provides an overview of leisure travel trends at LAS and MCO.
Leisure travel recovered quickly following the January disruption. After a brief dip in early February, passenger throughput rebounded rapidly and returned to prior-year levels by late February.
Throughout March, leisure traffic remained strong and closely aligned with 2025 patterns. In some periods, traffic slightly exceeded prior-year levels, consistent with seasonal demand associated with spring break travel.
The relatively fast recovery in this segment reflects the resilience of leisure demand, which tends to be less affected by short-term disruptions and more responsive to seasonal travel patterns.
Figure 4: US Leisure Air Traffic Indicator
Business Air Traffic Indicator
Figure 5 shows trends at business-oriented airports, including IAD, IAH, and SFO.
Business travel demonstrated a more gradual recovery compared to leisure and domestic segments. During February, throughput remained below prior-year levels for a longer period and showed a slower upward trend.
Toward the end of February, traffic began to improve more noticeably. In March, business travel continued to recover and approached levels similar to those observed in 2025.
This pattern suggests that business travel demand is more sensitive to disruption timing and tends to normalize more gradually. The improvement in March is consistent with increased corporate travel activity and the return of in-person meetings and events.
Figure 5: US Business Air Traffic Indicator
Summary
U.S. air traffic during February and March 2026 reflects a steady recovery following the weather-related disruptions in late January.
Overall passenger throughput increased from approximately 2.0–2.2 million daily passengers in early February to around 2.6–2.7 million by late March, aligning closely with prior-year patterns.
Domestic and leisure travel recovered more quickly and showed stable trends throughout March. International and business travel experienced more gradual and variable recovery but continued to improve over time.
These trends indicate that while short-term disruptions can temporarily impact traffic, underlying demand across all segments remains strong, with seasonal factors supporting continued growth into the spring travel period.