COVID-19 Recovery: TSA throughput remains flat through August
An empty TSA Checkpoint at Denver International Airport (DEN) on July 21, 2020.
Image: The Window Flyer
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Last month, we took a look at passenger throughput data volumes at TSA checkpoints in the United States to see how the aviation industry was recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. After showing a couple months of slowly recovering numbers, airline passenger volumes plateaued in July, coinciding with the explosion of COVID-19 cases in the United States.
How did the month of August fare? Not much better. With COVID-19 cases still widespread in the US, and still increasing in some areas, passenger volumes remained flat throughout the month. As seen in the charts below, the 7-day moving average volume for TSA throughput remained slightly below 750,000.
Airline Passenger Recovery Slows
Average passenger throughput, as a percentage of 2019 numbers, increased to about 30% in August, up 5% from around 25% in July. However, since volume as a pure quantity of passengers remained flat, this percentage increase can largely be attributed to the natural decline of passenger volumes toward the end of summer that occurs every year.
Airlines Plan Furloughs
As we begin to move through September, airlines are preparing to adjust to the lack of passenger recovery. As CARES Act funding runs out, airlines are planning mass layoffs. On Wednesday, United Airlines announced it was preparing to furlough over 16,000 employees beginning in October. American Airlines also announced it was preparing to make over 19,000 cuts. Hawaiian, a much smaller airline is expected to reduce its workforce by nearly 1,000 employees. The airline industry in the United States could cut as many as 80,000 workers, on top of those who have already voluntarily left or taken voluntary buyout packages, unless passenger numbers improve or additional government aid legislation is passed through Congress.
Passenger volume recovery remained flat in August, averaging just below 750,000 passengers per day passing through TSA checkpoints.
Image: The Window Flyer
Passenger volume recovery remained flat in August, showing a slight uptick from July, but still averaging around 30% of 2019 volumes.
Image: The Window Flyer
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