In a remarkable recovery post-pandemic, international air travel to and from the United States surged in June 2024. Data from the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) reveals a 10.4% year-over-year increase in air passenger enplanements, totalling 25.179 million. This milestone marks 105.8% of the enplanement volume seen in pre-pandemic June 2019, highlighting a robust rebound in global mobility.
Significant Growth in Non-U.S. Citizen Arrivals
Non-U.S. citizen air passenger arrivals to the United States in June 2024 reached 4.682 million, up 10.5% compared to June 2023. Although this figure represents 88.8% of the pre-pandemic volume from June 2019, it indicates a steady recovery. Overseas visitor arrivals totalled 2.902 million, representing 83.3% of June 2019, a slight dip from 86.5% in May 2024. For detailed data, refer to the June I-94 Advance Release.
Surge in U.S. Citizen Departures
U.S. citizens’ departures to foreign countries also showed significant growth. In June 2024, these departures totalled 8.246 million, marking a 9.3% increase compared to June 2023 and an impressive 19.7% rise over June 2019 levels. This trend underscores the increasing confidence of American travellers in international travel.
Regional Highlights: Europe Leads the Way
Europe emerged as a key player in international air travel with 8.093 million passengers in June 2024, up 7.7% from June 2023 and a modest 1.4% increase compared to June 2019. U.S. citizen departures to Europe surged by 15.4% over June 2019, while European citizen arrivals to the U.S. fell by 22.1%.
In the South/Central America/Caribbean region, air travel totalled 6.001 million, up 13.2% over June 2023 and 17.4% compared to June 2019. Asia saw a 23.1% increase in air travel compared to June 2023, totalling 2.665 million passengers. However, this is still 20.3% lower than June 2019, reflecting the slow recovery in Asian markets. Notably, Asian citizen arrivals to the U.S. were down by 36% compared to June 2019, while U.S. citizen departures to Asia increased by 12.4%.
Leading U.S. and Foreign Ports
The top U.S. ports serving international locations included New York (JFK) with 3.375 million passengers, Los Angeles (LAX) with 2.245 million, and Miami (MIA) with 2.133 million. San Francisco (SFO) and Chicago (ORD) featured prominently, with 1.555 million and 1.513 million passengers respectively.
On the global stage, London Heathrow (LHR) led with 1.763 million passengers, followed by Cancun (CUN) with 1.159 million, and Toronto (YYZ) with 1.127 million. Paris (CDG) and Frankfurt (FRA) were also key hubs, serving 911,000 and 742,000 passengers respectively.
Implications for the Travel Industry
Substantial growth in international air travel is a promising sign for the global travel and tourism industry. The increase in U.S. citizen departures and non-U.S. citizen arrivals indicates renewed confidence in international travel. As the world continues to navigate the post-pandemic landscape, these trends suggest a resilient and adaptable travel industry poised for continued growth.
Written by: Jill Walsh
