IATA: Start of a light at the end of the tunnel for US airlines as bookings improve

22 March, 2021

IATA reported (19-Mar-2021) US airlines "might already start to see the light at the end of the tunnel" of the coronavirus induced business slump, with bookings so far in Mar-2021 at 66% of pre-coronavirus levels for domestic travel and at 50% for international travel. The increase in domestic bookings has been linked to the US COVID-19 vaccination programme producing significant positive developments in the travel market. This is important for US carriers, as domestic travellers accounted for the majority of their passengers (85%) and generated the majority of their passenger revenues (73%) in 2019. However, the recovery of international traffic is still contingent upon the epidemiological situation in other countries. Presently, tickets are mostly being sold to leisure destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean, suggesting these countries will be first to benefit from the pent-up demand of US travellers. [more - original PR]