Halfway Airport rebounded even quicker, with flights growing 15% from 2021, partly primarily based on Southwest Airways’ speedy restoration.
Air journey took a giant step final 12 months in rebounding from the COVID-19 pandemic that devastated the business. However it’s nonetheless not all the way in which there. Visitors at O’Hare completed the 12 months 23% beneath 2019 ranges, in contrast with 20% for Atlanta.
However O’Hare’s restoration is more likely to catch a tailwind from China’s determination to finish quarantine restrictions on worldwide vacationers. A continued restoration in enterprise journey additionally will assist. O’Hare’s largest provider, Chicago-based United Airways, is closely depending on enterprise and worldwide journey.
Aviation’s rebound from the pandemic has different extensively.
Los Angeles Worldwide Airport, a major gateway to Asia, had a giant rebound in site visitors of 10% final 12 months, but it surely stays 19% beneath pre-pandemic ranges.
Halfway, in the meantime, is dominated by Southwest Airways, which is extra targeted on home and leisure journey—the classes which have recovered most shortly. The airport’s site visitors was down 8% from pre-pandemic ranges.
Las Vegas, one other of Southwest’s busiest hubs, grew even quicker final 12 months, with flights growing 19%. It is one of many few main airports the place journey is above 2019 ranges, in line with the FAA.
Halfway additionally received a lift final 12 months from Frontier Airways, which moved the vast majority of its flights again to the South Facet airport from O’Hare. Southwest expects to be close to its pre-pandemic schedule of virtually 270 day by day flights at Halfway this 12 months. Southwest is forecasting 260 day by day flights by July, up from 210 now.
