![]() ![]() Other airlines have also struck a bullish tone for transatlantic flights in 2022. Patrick Quayle – the carrier's senior vice president of international network and alliance – acknowledged the airline chose to fly to "new, unexpected places in the year to come" as it courts leisure customers who have – so far – driven most of the recovery in air travel. With business travel down and wide-body jets freed up to try new routes, the time was right for United. East Coast to the Azores Bergen, Norway the Canary Islands and Palma de Mallorca, Spain. But United rolled out something of a surprise by adding nonstop service from the U.S. That seems to be what United was thinking in an October announcement where it revealed eight new long-haul transatlantic routes for the summer of 2022.Īmong the bunch were several off-the-beaten-path destinations that have historically required cumbersome connections for Americans. Key West, Sarasota, Pensacola, Panama City and Destin were among numerous airports in the state where passenger counts soared as airlines rushed in with new flights, according to OAG's data.Įxpect that trend to continue into 2022, though a reopening Europe could prove to be a renewed draw for adventurous Americans ready to return to international travel. Still, no place has been hotter than Florida, where airlines don't seem to be able to add flights fast enough. Among the recent examples are United's nonstop service between Santa Ana, California, and Aspen, Colorado, and new United routes from Indianapolis and Cleveland. Some destinations have proven to be such a draw that airlines are adding new "point-to-point" routes that don't funnel through their hubs. It's been the same for several East Coast hot spots – Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, was up 58%, according to OAG, while Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, jumped 39%. In the West, places like Jackson Hole, Wyoming Montrose, Colorado and even Idaho Falls, Idaho, have all seen passenger counts soar past 2019 numbers. We've already told you airports near recreation hot spots fared well in 2021, but it bears repeating.Īirlines have added new routes and piled on extra flights to outdoor-friendly destinations across the U.S. So, what lies ahead? As we wind down Airlines Week at the 2021 TPG Awards, here's a look at what to expect as we head into 2022. But there is optimism for Europe, where borders are beginning to reopen – especially for vaccinated travelers. Routes to Asia have been especially hard-hit, with travel restrictions slower to lift in that region. Similarly, international travel remains off sharply from 2019. While business travel has begun to return, a full recovery isn't imminent.īy signing up, you will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. It hasn't been as rosy at airports that have traditionally relied on high-frequency business routes. In Sarasota on Florida's Gulf Coast, the jump is even bigger in 2021 – up 94% from 2019. It's been a similar story for dozens of other lesser-known airports, such as Hilton Head – where the passenger traffic at the Atlantic Coast resort is up a whopping 81.5% in 2021 as compared to 2019. That's far ahead of the airport's pre-pandemic pace, with the passenger count soaring 55% over the same period in 2019, according to data from OAG, a U.K.-based air travel intelligence company. ![]() Traffic to the Montana airport has surged this year, with 1.46 million passengers flying through the airport through Oct. ![]() ![]() Take Bozeman, which sits near Yellowstone National Park and other outdoor recreation areas. Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG's free new biweekly Aviation newsletter! That's led to a surprising list of booming airports – including the three above – buoyed by proximity to national parks, beaches, skiing and other outdoor-friendly destinations. But, in the recovery that's taken hold since, carriers have responded by beefing up schedules to leisure-heavy destinations that have proven to be popular pandemic getaways. market in 2020, airlines slashed service as passenger traffic plummeted. They're among America's hottest aviation markets in 2021, underscoring how much the pandemic has jolted airline route maps. ![]()
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