Though traffic remains exceptionally low, U.S. air travel
has begun ticking back up.
During the week that ended May 3, the TSA screened 981,000
people at airport checkpoints, up 27% from the previous week and up 43% from
the week that ended April 18, when checkpoint throughput bottomed out at
684,000.
Screening numbers include airline passengers and crew.
Even with the jump, throughput at TSA checkpoints last week
was down 94% from the year before.
ARC data also suggests that demand for air travel may have
bottomed out.
Travel agents issued 81.8% fewer tickets during the week
that ended May 3, compared with year-over-year declines in excess of 90% during
the previous four weeks.
In dollar terms, sales last week were down 89.5%, compared
with a 94.8% decline the previous week and a 96% fall in the week ending April
12.