Grounded Boeing 737 MAX aircraft at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, the US. Picture: REUTERS/LINDSEY WASSONThe vaccination drive has made US airlines optimistic about a summer travel rebound, but their upbeat outlook is clouded by international markets that remain out of reach and raging infections in countries such as India and Brazil.
American is planning to fly more than 90% of its 2019 domestic seat capacity and 80% of international this summer, even as new virus variants threaten the recovery. Delta says travellers are “beginning to reclaim their lives.” United Airlines Holdings is showing more caution but still expects to fly more than half its pre-pandemic schedule this quarter.
Using weekly OAG data, Bloomberg has built a global flight tracker to monitor the pulse of the air travel comeback. The latest update shows a modest decrease in US capacity after earlier gains fuelled by spring break and Easter. As a percentage of 2019 traffic, the US continues to trail such major markets as China and India while leading Europe.
Americans seeking a getaway have stayed close to home, led by Mexico — the only top-five country to raise its ranking from before the pandemic — and other spots in Latin America or the Caribbean, based on commerce department data collected by lobby group Airlines for America. Major countries such as Canada, the UK, Japan and Germany have seen a visitor drop of 90% or more from the US.