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 two-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 2, 2023. 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.
US Overall Airport Traffic Status
US airport traffic in 2024 has kicked off impressively, with passenger numbers in February exceeding those of prior years. By the month’s close, air traffic in the US had reached a peak not seen in the past five years. Forecasts suggest that within the upcoming quarter, total passenger traffic will not only surpass pre-pandemic levels but also exceed last year’s figures by approximately 10%.
Figure 1: US Overall Air Traffic Trend
Domestic Airport Traffic Indicator
Figure 2 illustrates the upward trend in U.S. domestic air travel, highlighting a robust recovery in February following January’s decline—a pattern aligned with expected seasonal variations. Given that the recovery rate is surpassing that of the pre-COVID era, we predict that domestic air traffic will reach a new high by the end of March 2024.
Figure 2: US Domestic Air Traffic Indicator
International Airport Traffic Indicator
Figure 3 presents the U.S. international air traffic index for February 2024, showing that while traffic levels are marginally below those seen in 2019 and 2020, they have surpassed the numbers from the preceding year. It is expected that U.S. international air traffic will maintain this upward trajectory and potentially reach pre-COVID levels within the next three months.
Figure 3: US International Air Traffic Indicator
Leisure Air Traffic Indicator
Figure 4 reveals an optimistic forecast for the U.S. leisure air travel market, despite encountering its seasonal nadir during the latter half of January and the initial weeks of February. The market is expected to rebound sharply and reach its peak around the Spring Break period in 2024.
Figure 4: US Leisure Air Traffic Indicator
Business Air Traffic Indicator
Figure 5 illustrates that business travel in February 2024 has reached the robust levels observed in 2019 and is positioned for further growth. It is projected that within the next three months, business travel will attain heights not seen in recent years.
Figure 5: US Business Air Traffic Indicator
In the first few months of 2024, U.S. air travel has shown significant momentum. Domestic air travel, after a brief seasonal dip in January, is on a swift recovery path, expected to set new records by the end of March. International air traffic, while slightly trailing the figures from 2019 and 2020, has outperformed the previous year’s statistics and is projected to reach or exceed pre-pandemic levels in the upcoming quarter. The leisure air travel sector, despite its seasonal lows, is forecasted to hit its peak around Spring Break. Similarly, business travel has matched its 2019 strength and is anticipated to surge to unprecedented levels in the next three months, highlighting a robust and optimistic outlook for the U.S. air travel industry in early 2024.