U.S. airlines had some of their busiest post-pandemic days over the Thanksgiving weekend. The Transportation Security Administration screened 2.5 million people on Sunday alone—the most since February 2020 and only 15% below 2019’s Thanksgiving levels.

Despite the surge in air travel over the holiday, airlines are now facing a new challenge as more countries report cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, just as international travel was rebounding, and more nations were loosening travel rules. As a result, the U.S. government recently announced temporary bans on travelers coming from countries that have known cases of this variant. Additionally, concerns about the variant and new travel restrictions have sent airline stocks tumbling—and travel intent is projected to follow suite.

“International travel is critical to reviving economies around the globe, supporting millions of jobs in the U.S. and abroad, reinvigorating communities and reuniting families, friends and colleagues who have not seen in each other in nearly two years or longer,” said spokesman Carter Yang in a statement. “Amid this rapidly evolving situation, it is critical that U.S. government decisions regarding international travel restrictions and requirements be rooted in science.” (CNBC, 11.29.21)

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