by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:55 AM ET, Fri February 17, 2023
Officials from Airports Council International (ACI) said the airline industries in Europe and North America are better prepared for the summer travel demand surge as staffing has improved, but there are still concerns about long lines and delayed flights during peak periods.
According to Reuters.com, the industry group said during a recent meeting that passenger demand at airports around the world is expected to reach pre-pandemic levels on most routes this year.
"The summer months are indeed expected to be challenging at times for Europe, North America and some parts of Southeast Asia as passenger loads are expected to increase and reach levels in some places close to or even above 2019 levels," ACI World vice president Thomas Romig told Reuters.
While long lines, lost bags and flight delays were common last summer as facilities and airlines were severely understaffed, airport executives believe disruptions will be limited to peak traffic periods.
Overseas, Air France-KLM's Steven Zaat said several major European airports, including Amsterdam's Schiphol, might not have enough staff until the end of June. In Germany, employees are threatening a summer of "chaos" if their contract demands aren't met.
In Canada, several major airports, including Montreal-Trudeau International, revealed plans to add services designed to curb lines ahead of spring break.
In the United States, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects to screen increasing numbers of passengers at airport checkpoints as travel volumes may exceed pre-pandemic levels between February 17 and April 21.
To meet the demand, the TSA announced progress on enhanced security, checkpoint efficiency and passenger experience investments, including increasing public awareness about traveling with firearms and deploying new technology.
"In January, we experienced our first full month where travel volumes exceeded the same month in 2019," TSA Administrator David Pekoske said. "We fully expect to see an upward trend in travel volumes throughout 2023, including during the spring break period."
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