Saturday Was the Busiest Day for Air Travel Since Late March
With lock-down orders and travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, air travel has plunged 96% in recent months. On March 1st for example, 2,280,522 people passed through TSA checkpoints, including workers and crew members. That was still in line with travel last year, but before the federal government and states started placing major travel restrictions.
Six weeks later, on April 14th only 87,534 people passed through TSA checkpoints. That was the slowest day for air travel in decades and an incredible drop of 96.2%.
But air travel has seen an uptick in recent days. Saturday, May 1st, was the busiest day since late March. 171,563 travelers and crew passed through TSA checkpoints. That is almost a 100% increase from the lowest point this year.
But the travel industry got some good news on Sunday. April 26th marked the busiest day for air travel in the last three week. 128,875 travelers and crew passed through TSA checkpoints, about a 50% increase from the lowest point. However, that is still about 93% down from a year ago. You can see the TSA numbers here, compared to the same day last year.
Airlines Mandate Face Masks
Travel nowadays differs from what you have been used to. Most airlines now require you to wear face coverings. JetBlue was the first to announce mandatory masks for both crew and passengers, and all the major carriers soon followed. The rule kicks in on different dates for each airline, so check with them if you need to fly. Airlines have said they will provide masks to those who do not have one. Some airports, like San Francisco, also require masks in the terminals.
