— This is the script of CNBC's news report for China's CCTV on November 28, 2023.
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported on Monday that airport passenger traffic surged over the Thanksgiving weekend. Sunday, in particular, set a new record, surpassing the peak reached in June this year, making it the busiest day in U.S. airport history.
TSA data indicated that airport security screenings on Friday accounted for 2.2 million passengers, 2.6 million on Saturday, and a record-breaking over 2.9 million on Sunday, surpassing the previous record of 2.88 million set on June 30. This represents a 14% increase compared to the same period last year.
The TSA also forecasts that between November 17 and 28, the total number of passengers flying will reach a record 30 million.
Despite the surge in numbers, numerous travelers reported smooth experiences. Data from FlightRadar24, a real-time flight tracking service, showed that of over 51,000 flights on Sunday, less than 0.5% were canceled, with no airline canceling more than 1% of its flights.
Traveler at LAX Airport
"Everything went so smooth, it was so nice. We just had no trouble."
Traveler at BWI Airport
"We were using the TSA app to kind of look ahead of time and show that there wasn't any security lines so that kind of helped alleviate the stress a little bit."
According to Forbes, which referenced an aviation travel blogger's report, the majority of flights departed within 14 minutes of their scheduled times. Delta Airlines topped the list with nearly 90% of its flights departing on time, while Spirit Airlines lagged behind with an on-time rate of 72%.
This year's smooth Thanksgiving weekend travel contrasts sharply with last year's Christmas when winter storms and a system collapse at Southwest Airlines led to thousands of flight cancellations and chaos at many U.S. airports. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated that the government had taken action this year, including opening new air routes along the East Coast before the holiday travel season, contributing to improved traffic conditions.
Sec. Pete Buttigieg
"Our numbers that TSA at the Homeland Security Department provided suggest that yesterday was the busiest day of air travel in American history, and the rate of cancellations and delays was well below 1%. So we have seen major progress now."
Moreover, travelers opting to drive over the Thanksgiving period enjoyed the benefits of the recent dip in U.S. gas prices. The American Automobile Association (AAA) projected that 88.7% of Thanksgiving weekend travelers, approximately 49.1 million people, opted to travel by car. This figure represents a 2.3% increase from last year and is the third-highest Thanksgiving travel forecast by AAA since 2000.
As per AAA data, the national average gas price on November 27 was around $3.25 per gallon, hovering at this level since Thanksgiving Thursday, returning to the lows of January this year. Gas price tracking site GasBuddy noted that this year marked the lowest Thanksgiving gas prices since 2020.
Analysts anticipate the next surge in travel during Christmas, projecting a continued softening in oil prices owing to reduced gasoline demand. In terms of air travel, Reuters reports that airlines are still addressing issues like shortages of air traffic controllers, a situation that continues to warrant attention.