Record summer airline travel is starting, and so are the flight delays

Summer air travel is expected to soar in the United States. The TSA screened a high of 2.99m individuals on Sunday, June 23 — exceeding a record set just weeks earlier on May 24 — and the TSA is forecasting a record-setting July 4 holiday period. TSA expects to screen more than 32m travelers in all between Friday, June 28, and Monday, July 8, a 5.4% year-over-year increase in travel for the holiday. The record-breaking air traveler numbers come amid airline challenges, from supply chain delays to intense regulation, the Boeing safety crises limiting new planes coming to market, air traffic controller “fatigue,” extreme weather delays, and rising costs which have hit the carriers’ bottom line and compressed margins. Airports weren’t wholly ready for the initial summer rush. Over 6,000 flights were delayed by the evening of Friday, May 24, on the East Coast alone. While there may be enough flights to meet demand, the record travel still pose challenges to airports, airlines, and travelers. For now, the airlines are expressing confidence. Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” this week that its performance levels are excelling, with the “best first quarter reliability [Delta has] ever seen.” (Delta has the best on-time record in the U.S.) But there will also be the need for coordination. American Airlines CEO Robert Isom told “Squawk Box” the company is making sure to “run the most reliable airline possible,” but factors affecting on-time flights vary from weather to air traffic control issues. The FAA has found a shortage of up to 3,000 needed air traffic controllers. Last summer, a record-breaking summer for airports, there were air traffic jams and near collisions amid challenges in flight coordination. Based on air traffic patterns and airport density, New York City and Florida are subject to the highest risk of backups. Story has more. <br/>