US air travel reaches pandemic high as peak season kicks off

Air traveler volumes hit the highest levels since before the coronavirus pandemic began during Memorial Day weekend, the latest sign of recovery for the sector. The TSA screened an average of 1.78m people from Friday through Monday, hitting a peak of 1.96m on Friday. Those volumes are more than six times higher than a year ago, but still 22% below Memorial Day weekend in 2019. The surge in travelers is pushing up the price of vacations, including airfare, hotel rates and car rental prices. Domestic leisure fares are near 2019 levels, airline executives have said.<br/>