While airfares have so far remained steady, experts predict a price spike for fall and winter flights as demand returns.
Firestone said the potential influx of travellers could cause repeated delays and disruptions. Flight disruptions and wider airport chaos this summer were often chalked up to staffing shortages everywhere from border guards to flight attendants. "The problem is that a lot of people didn’t come back into the industry,” said Firestone. "You just don’t push a button and all of a sudden you find pilots."