A Delta Airlines Boeing 757-251 is approaching Washington Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia on February 24, 2021.
Daniel Slim | AFP | Getty Images
Weekend air travel has reached its highest levels in more than a year, as tourists return, boosting the prospects of several major carriers.
The Transportation Security Administration on Sunday examined more than 1.34 million people, 86,000 more than on the same day a year ago, shortly after the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic.
This figure was still 45% below 2019 levels, a sign that the airline industry still has a long way to go before returning to pre-pandemic levels. But TSA projections topped 1 million every Thursday, hitting the best stretch of a year.
Airlines are increasingly optimistic. Both Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways on Monday said bookings have risen this month as more people are vaccinated. Shares on these carriers increased by 2% each in premarket trading. American Airlines increased by 3%, and United Airlines increased by more than 2%.