Memorial Day air travel expected to be busier than before start of pandemic: AAA

AAA predicts 3.4 million Americans are expected to travel by air during the holiday weekend, a 5.4 percent increase since 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

by Julia Mueller | May. 15, 2023

A traveler looks at a flight board with delays and cancellations at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va., Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

AAA is predicting air travel over upcoming Memorial Day weekend will be busier this year than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Roughly 3.4 million Americans are expected to take flights during the holiday weekend, an 11 percent increase since 3.05 million last year, according to the AAA report. This year’s figure also represents 5.4 percent more passengers since 2019, before the pandemic hit, when 3.22 million traveled by air during the Memorial Day weekend.

“Despite high ticket prices, demand for flights is skyrocketing. This Memorial Day weekend could be the busiest at airports since 2005,” AAA found.

Overall, 42.3 million Americans are projected to travel 50 miles or more from their homes over the holiday weekend, 2.7 million more people than last year — marking what’s expected to be the third busiest Memorial Day weekend since 2000, when AAA started tracking the travel.

“More Americans are planning trips and booking them earlier, despite inflation. This summer travel season could be one for the record books, especially at airports,” according to AAA Travel’s senior vice president, Paula Twidale.

The expected uptick in air travel over the upcoming Memorial Day weekend follows other holiday travel numbers in recent months that have signaled a return to pre-pandemic travel levels in the U.S.

Auto travel over Memorial Day weekend is expected to see a 6 percent increase since last year’s holiday, but is still below the 2019 figure.