US prepares for summer air travel spike, may allow more foreign visitors

US airlines and agencies are preparing for increased domestic air travel this summer even as the government continues to debate whether to allow more foreign travelers to visit. Shares in American Airlines, United and Delta were sharply higher on Tuesday after top executives said that the pace of a leisure travel recovery was increasing. "We've been very, very pleased with the pace of demand recovery," Delta President Glen Hauenstein told an industry conference. "Bookings have been better than expected." As more Americans pass through airports, the TSA plans to hire another 1,000 officers by July 4, a peak US travel period, after hiring 3,000 officers since Jan 1. "We have already seen a sharp rise at the nation's airports and will continue to experience steady increases throughout the summer," Acting TSA Administrator Darby LaJoye told a news conference at Reagan National Airport outside Washington. The TSA screened 1.86m passengers on Sunday, the highest daily total since March 2020. <br/>