Will there be more air travel chaos this summer?

In 2024, airports are expected to be even busier than last year, with more people flying despite significantly higher fares

This year’s high demand will be welcomed by airlines, whose finances are regaining strength after the pandemic. They make their biggest profits in the summer. But it also means even more pressure on all parts of the industry to make sure things go to plan.

Key takeaways

• Aviation analytics firm Cirium reports that 282,207 flights are scheduled to depart from the UK this June through August, slightly fewer than in the same period in 2019. However, passenger numbers are nearly back to pre-pandemic levels as airlines use slightly larger aircraft;
• Eurocontrol, which manages European airspace, anticipates a 7% increase in traffic this summer compared to last year, with some regions experiencing a 20% rise from pre-Covid levels;
• Air travel is set to be busy this year. The uncertainty lies in where any issues might arise and whether the industry's resilience measures will be sufficient to handle the demand.

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