Call it incremental evidence.
The Transportation Security Administration reported that it screened 831,789 passengers at airports across the country on Sunday, August 9 - the highest single-day total since the coronavirus pandemic, and subsequent travel restrictions, began devastating the airline industry back in March.
It's still not anywhere close to the number of fliers from last year. In fact, it's 69 percent less than the 2.6 million people who flew on the same day last year.
All totaled, airline traffic is about 27 percent overall of what it was at this point in the year in 2019.
Still, consider all the ramifications of COVID-19:
- The deadliness of the virus itself and a general reticence to get back in the air by the flying public
- The travel restrictions imposed by the Trump administration between the U.S. and China for the better part of three months
- The travel restrictions to Europe
- Europe's recent reciprocal ban of American travelers
- The blocking of middle seats on many airlines, cutting off a third of available seats
- And some who refuse to fly if they are forced to wear a face mask
Add all of that up and getting back to 27 percent capacity compared to last year when the total was as low as five percent at one point in April is a pretty good comeback by the airlines.
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