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 Dec. 2nd, 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
Figure 1 illustrates that U.S. air traffic managed to surpass the pre-pandemic levels of 2019 for the majority of this year. Nevertheless, following a significant surge around the Thanksgiving holiday, overall volume experienced a rapid decline. There is a possibility that it may fall below the 2019 levels once more for the remaining duration of the year.
Figure 1: US Overall Air Traffic Trend
Domestic Airport Traffic Indicator
Figure 2 underscores the trend in domestic U.S. air traffic. During November 2023, domestic traffic consistently exceeded the levels observed in 2019, particularly during the Thanksgiving period. However, the momentum waned after the holiday, and it’s possible that domestic volume may dip below pre-COVID levels in December.
Figure 2: US Domestic Air Traffic Indicator
International Airport Traffic Indicator
Figure 3 depicts the international air traffic index in the U.S., highlighting a relatively stable trend in November 2023. For December, our projections indicate that international traffic is anticipated to be higher than the levels observed in the previous year but remain below the figures recorded in 2019.
Figure 3: US International Air Traffic Indicator
Leisure Air Traffic Indicator
Leisure air travel witnessed a resurgence during October and the initial half of November, as shown in Figure 4. However, the current trajectory is declining, and we anticipate that the levels will regress to match those of the previous year in December.
Figure 4: US Leisure Air Traffic Indicator
Business Air Traffic Indicator
Turning our attention to business-related air travel, Figure 5 illustrates a decline in such travel following the Thanksgiving holiday this year. This trend appears to persist until mid-December, with potential signs of a pickup leading up to the Christmas season.
Figure 5: US Business Air Traffic Indicator
The U.S. air travel market displayed a mixed landscape, with domestic travel surpassing pre-pandemic levels for most of the year. However, the recent trend is characterized by a notable downward trajectory in both leisure and business travel following the Thanksgiving holiday, and it is expected to persist into mid-December. While international travel remained relatively stable in November, it is anticipated to only marginally exceed the previous year’s levels in December, remaining below the figures recorded in 2019. The overall market dynamics reflect a cautious approach to air travel as the year draws to a close.