Airlines Brace for Busiest Thanksgiving Yet
U.S. airlines are expecting record-breaking Thanksgiving travel after the government shutdown ended
U.S. airlines are anticipating another record travel period over the Thanksgiving holidays and are pleased now that the government shutdown that disrupted travel is over.
Airlines for America, a lobbying group representing the largest U.S. airlines, estimated on Thursday that airlines will carry more than 31 million people between Friday, November 21, and Monday, December 1. The busiest day is expected to be the Sunday after Thanksgiving, with approximately 3.4 million flights, followed by the Monday after Thanksgiving, with approximately 3.1 million passengers.
Airline officials expressed relief after the longest-ever government shutdown ended on November 12. A4A said that a shortage of air traffic controllers, who had to work without their regular salaries, caused flight delays and cancellations, disrupting the travel plans of approximately 6 million people.
The industry is now pressuring lawmakers to pass legislation to ensure payment to air traffic controllers in the event of another shutdown. Officials have complained in recent weeks that air travel has become a political bargaining chip. The new bill will only provide government funding until January, so industry members are hoping to prevent another shutdown just before the start of the winter break and spring break seasons.
Bank of America estimates that major network airlines could lose $150 million to $200 million in operating income and smaller airlines $100 million due to the shutdown, but airlines have not yet released updated estimates.
Some passengers appeared to be waiting for the shutdown to end before booking their travel.
United Airlines
said bookings between November 15 and 16 were 16% higher than the previous weekend, when air travel disruptions peaked.
The airline also said that international holiday trip bookings are at record levels, up 10% compared to last year, with Cancun, Mexico, and the major European hubs of London and Frankfurt, Germany, the top destinations.
Overall, United estimates it will fly 6.6 million customers between November 20 and December 2, up 4% from last year.
According to aviation-data firm Cirium, international capacity for the largest U.S. carriers is up about 5% between November 26 and November 30 compared to the same time last year, while domestic capacity is up about 2%.
American Airlines
said it plans to operate 80,759 flights from November 20 to December 2, the most of any airline.
"The Thanksgiving holiday season is the shortest and most important for our customers—the stakes are high, and the American team is prepared to deliver," American's Chief Operating Officer, David Seymour, said in a news release.
However, not all airlines have increased their schedules. Budget carrier Spirit Airlines, which has filed for bankruptcy for the second time in less than a year, has reduced capacity and furloughed hundreds of pilots to reduce costs and build a stronger financial position.
Cirium data shows that Spirit's domestic flying capacity has declined by nearly 40% compared to a year ago.
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