On Friday, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said that the number of screenings at U.S. airports have risen above 2019 levels. These numbers indicate that millions pf Americans have traveled during the Fourth of July weekend. This strong demand is a milestone in the pandemic. The increase in screenings is due to domestic travel demand as business related and international travel is still paused.
The TSA said that it had screened almost 2.15 million people on Thursday, July 1, 2021. During the pre-pandemic times more than 2.01 million people had been screened on Monday July 1, 2019. These figures showed that there was an almost 3 percent increase in passengers who passed through security points in airports across the nation.
However, CNBC reports that it is a passing trend and will not sustain. Mondays are generally a low point in the week and in the same year screenings increased by over 706,000 people on July 5, which was the peak of the week.
However, the milestone crossed offers hope and shows that there is confidence and demand for local travel this spring as a result of the strong vaccine rollout and a relaxation of closures and restrictions that were in place due to the pandemic.
Despite the huge numbers of Americans who are ready to travel this weekend, airlines have faced delays and problems due to inclement weather. Hundreds of flights were canceled, and thousands were delayed. There have been storms in and around the following cities and areas
- Dallas
- Fort Worth
- New York City
- Denver
Airlines and airports will also face staffing problems as peak summer will lead to more travel and travelers. Although airlines received $54 billion in federal payroll support, they used voluntary measures including early retirement, buyouts, temporary leaves of absence and more to trim down staff.
Now both these entities are scrambling for staff and CNBC has reported that many of them are offering huge benefits including double pay to lure back old employees or to hire new ones.
They are looking to hire:
- Pilots
- Flight attendants
- Mechanics
- Cashiers Cooks and more.
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