NPR - David Schaper
It's spring break season, and airports are jampacked again as the number of people flying is just about back to pre-pandemic levels.
An analysis of the Transportation Security Administration's daily throughput data shows that an average of more than 2.1 million travelers have been going through airport security checkpoints each day over the past two weeks. That's only about 9% fewer people than over the same two-week period in 2019.
In fact, those who are traveling now may find it hard to believe these very same crowded airport terminals with long lines at check-in counters and TSA checkpoints were just about empty at this time two years ago; and now-jammed planes were flying with hardly any passengers on board.
The vast majority of the people crowding in airports these days are traveling domestically, on vacations. Business and international travel, which are more lucrative for airlines, are still lagging.
