Thanksgiving travel surge to test airlines as the industry recovers from labor shortages

Passengers are about to find out whether airlines are prepared for a surge in Thanksgiving travelers. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects to screen about 20 million people between Friday and November 28th. Many of these travelers skipped Thanksgiving trips last year with the rise in covid cases and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised against traveling. 

Both Delta Airlines and United Airlines said that the Sunday after Thanksgiving could be the busiest day since before the pandemic. The airlines also forecast this week that between November 19th and November 30th they will fly at least 5.6 million and 4.5 million travelers, respectively. 

The increase in travelers is good news for one of the pandemic's most battered industries. But some airlines are also struggling to fulfill their ambitious schedules, resulting in a high number of flight cancellations most recently seen at American Airlines and Southwest Airlines. To return to profitability, it is crucial to find a balance as airlines face challenges from high fuel prices as well. Staffing shortages have been the biggest issue for airlines, which encouraged thousands of workers to take leaves or move to early retirements. Now they are racing to hire pilots, reservation agents, flight attendants and other workers. 

Source: CNBC