US Memorial Day TSA screenings remain low but show signs of rebounding

HOUSTON (ICIS)–US Memorial Day Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screenings were drastically lower year on year, but also the highest number of screenings in one day since March.

The US Memorial Day holiday is typically a large travel weekend, as it is the unofficial start to summer in many places and a three day weekend gives many the time to see family or plan a small vacation.

On 21 May, the TSA recorded over 300,000 passengers screened, the highest in several months.

Memorial Day in 2019 saw nearly 2.8m travellers screened through TSA, highlighting the stark drop off in 2020.

Typically the summer season is the height of demand for US travel, setting new records almost yearly.

Summer 2020 is poised to look very different from previous years as consumers are expected to remain hesitant to fly until a vaccine is made. This will result in more consumers taking road trips instead of flying to their destinations, if they choose to travel at all.

As recent events surrounding the coronavirus has left many afraid to travel by air, many airlines are suffering financially, leading them to work with governments for a bailout.

The US is no exception as airlines around the world continue to struggle.

Most recently, Lufthansa was presented a $9.8bn bailout from the German government while the South American airline, LatAm Airlines Group, the largest airline in the region, has filed for bankruptcy.

Previously, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said it expects air travel to recover more slowly than the general economy as it was hit extremely hard by measures to tackle coronavirus around the world.

IATA said in a report that it expects global passenger demand to recover to 2019 levels in 2023, two years behind GDP recovery.

Second-quarter air travel demand is down 82% year on year, according to IATA, while revenues are projected to fall by $314bn, a 55% drop year on year.

Focus article by Alex Snodgrass