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U.S. International Air Traffic Soars, Approaching Pre-Pandemic Volumes, U.S. International Air Travel Stats – September 2023.

Amid robust global recovery, the U.S. international air passenger traffic is flying high. According to the latest figures from the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO), air passenger enplanements surged by 18% year over year in September 2023.

September’s statistics underscore the return to near-normalcy in air traffic, as passenger enplanements were just a whisker away, at 99.9% of the September 2019 pre-pandemic levels, totalling a whopping 20.04 million.

The momentum wasn’t limited to U.S. citizens alone. Non-U.S. citizen air passenger arrivals reached 4.705 million, marking an increase of 20.8% compared to September 2022. This achievement stands at 88% of the pre-pandemic September 2019 volumes.

Adding to this optimistic landscape, overseas visitor arrivals exceeded the 2 million mark for the seventh month in a row. Specifically, September saw 2.929 million overseas visitors, translating to 84% of the numbers from the same month two years prior.

Flipping the coin, U.S. citizens weren’t holding back either. Their departures to foreign destinations registered at 5.304 million, up by a solid 16% year over year, astonishingly surpassing the September 2019 volume by 18.1%.

A regional breakdown paints an interesting picture:

Europe led the charge with 7.041 million passengers, a 13.9% increase compared to September 2022.
South/Central America/Caribbean wasn’t far behind, logging 4.209 million passengers – up 16% from September 2022.
Despite a 75.5% spike over September 2022, Asia still lags in recovery, down by 29.6% from September 2019 volumes.

The top U.S. hubs facilitating this international resurgence include New York (JFK) with 2.983 million, followed by Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), Newark (EWR), and San Francisco (SFO).

Internationally, the major ports connecting the U.S. were London Heathrow (LHR), Toronto (YYZ), Paris (CDG), Cancun (CUN), and Frankfurt (FRA).

In conclusion, as the world treads cautiously towards post-pandemic normalcy, the burgeoning numbers in international air travel, especially involving the U.S., are heartening signs for global economies and travellers alike.