air travel passengers

Air transport, passengers carried

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World air passenger traffic evolution, 1980-2020

Last updated 3 Dec 2020

IEA (2020), World air passenger traffic evolution, 1980-2020 , IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/world-air-passenger-traffic-evolution-1980-2020, Licence: CC BY 4.0

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International Civil Aviation Organization (2020). ICAO Economic Impact Analysis of COVID-19 on Civil Aviation.

a) Historical figures are subject to revision and estimates for 2020 will be updated with the evolving situation; and b) For latest update please refer to ICAO Economic Impact Analysis of COVID-19 on Civil Aviation at: https://www.icao.int/sustainability/Pages/Economic-Impacts-of-COVID-19.aspx .

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Air passengers

What you should know about this indicator, how is this data described by its producer.

Air passengers carried include both domestic and international aircraft passengers of air carriers registered in the country.

Limitations and exceptions: The air transport data represent the total (international and domestic) scheduled traffic carried by the air carriers registered in a country. Countries submit air transport data to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on the basis of standard instructions and definitions issued by ICAO. In many cases, however, the data include estimates by ICAO for nonreporting carriers. Where possible, these estimates are based on previous submissions supplemented by information published by the air carriers, such as flight schedules.

The data cover the air traffic carried on scheduled services, but changes in air transport regulations in Europe have made it more difficult to classify traffic as scheduled or nonscheduled. Thus recent increases shown for some European countries may be due to changes in the classification of air traffic rather than actual growth. In the case of multinational air carriers owned by partner States, traffic within each partner State is shown separately as domestic and all other traffic as international.

"Foreign" cabotage traffic (i.e. traffic carried between city-pairs in a State other than the one where the reporting carrier has its principal place of business) is shown as international traffic.

A technical stop does not result in any flight stage being classified differently than would have been the case had the technical stop not been made. For countries with few air carriers or only one, the addition or discontinuation of a home-based air carrier may cause significant changes in air traffic.

Data for transport sectors are not always internationally comparable. Unlike for demographic statistics, national income accounts, and international trade data, the collection of infrastructure data has not been "internationalized."

Statistical concept and methodology: For statistical uses, departures are equal to the number of landings made or flight stages flown. A flight stage is the operation of an aircraft from take-off to its next landing. A flight stage is classified as either international or domestic. International flight stage is one or both terminals in the territory of a State, other than the State in which the air carrier has its principal place of business.

Domestic flight stage is not classifiable as international. Domestic flight stages include all flight stages flown between points within the domestic boundaries of a State by an air carrier whose principal place of business is in that State. Flight stages between a State and territories belonging to it, as well as any flight stages between two such territories, should be classified as domestic. This applies even though a stage may cross international waters or over the territory of another State.

The number of passengers carried is obtained by counting each passenger on a particular flight (with one flight number) once only and not repeatedly on each individual stage of that flight, with a single exception that a passenger flying on both the international and domestic stages of the same flight should be counted as both a domestic and an international passenger.

Sources and processing

This data is based on the following sources, international civil aviation organization (via world bank) – world development indicators.

The World Development Indicators (WDI) is the primary World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially-recognized international sources. It presents the most current and accurate global development data available, and includes national, regional and global estimates.

How we process data at Our World in Data

All data and visualizations on Our World in Data rely on data sourced from one or several original data providers. Preparing this original data involves several processing steps. Depending on the data, this can include standardizing country names and world region definitions, converting units, calculating derived indicators such as per capita measures, as well as adding or adapting metadata such as the name or the description given to an indicator.

At the link below you can find a detailed description of the structure of our data pipeline, including links to all the code used to prepare data across Our World in Data.

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Air Travel Consumer Report: August 2023 Numbers

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today released its Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) on airline operational data compiled for the month of August 2023 for on-time performance, mishandled baggage, and mishandled wheelchairs and scooters.

The ATCR is designed to assist consumers with information on the quality of services provided by airlines. DOT remains committed to ensuring airline passengers are treated fairly and flights operate as scheduled. For the first eight months of 2023, 1.7% of flights have been canceled, far below the 3.0% cancellation rate for the first eight months of last year and the 2.3% cancellation rate for first eight months of pre-pandemic 2019.

DOT uses the data from the ATCR, consumer complaints, and other information it secures from the airlines to inform its enforcement activities and the adequacy of existing rules.

This year, DOT has already issued the largest fines in the history of the consumer protection office primarily based on complaints received. Since the pandemic began, the Department has helped return more than $2.5 billion in refunds to travelers. 

The Department is also enhancing consumer protections through rulemakings and other activities. After a two-year DOT push to improve the passenger experience, the 10 largest airlines now guarantee meals and free rebooking on the same airline and nine guarantee hotel accommodations as part of the Department’s Airline Customer Service Dashboard. DOT expanded the user-friendly dashboard at FlightRights.Gov to highlight which airlines, if any, offer cash compensation, provide travel credits or vouchers, or award frequent flyer miles when they cause flight delays or cancellations. In May, DOT announced plans to launch a new rulemaking that would propose to make passenger compensation and amenities mandatory so that travelers are taken care of when airlines cause flight delays or cancellations, such as staffing issues or mechanical problems.

Further, earlier this year, President Biden and Secretary Buttigieg pressed airlines to commit to fee-free family seating. Before their urging, no airline committed to guaranteeing fee-free family seating. Now four airlines have committed to guaranteeing fee-free family seating, and DOT is pursuing a rulemaking that would require all airlines to do so. Secretary Buttigieg also submitted to Congress a legislative proposal to require that airlines provide fee-free family seating . To further assist consumers in assessing airline family seating commitments, in March 2023, DOT rolled out a new family seating dashboard that highlights the airlines that guarantee fee-free family seating, and those that do not, making it easier for parents to avoid paying junk fees to sit with their children when they fly.

Flight Operations

The 630,761 flights operated in August 2023 were 105.45% of the 598,166 flights operated in August 2022. Operated flights in August 2023 were up 5.45% year-over-year from the 598,166 flights operated in August 2022 and up 1.23% month-over-month from 623,120 flights operated in July 2023. 

In August 2023, the 10 marketing network carriers reported 640,236 scheduled domestic flights, 9,475 (1.5%) of which were canceled. In July 2023, airlines scheduled 638,995 domestic flights, of which 15,875 (2.5%) were canceled. In August 2022, airlines scheduled 613,649 domestic flights, of which 15,483 (2.5%) were canceled.

August 2023 On-Time Arrival

In August 2023, reporting marketing carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 77.2% up from 69.6% in July 2023 and 75.6% in August 2022. The year-to-date on-time arrival rate for 2023 is 75.7%.

Highest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates August 2023 (ATCR Table 1)

• Hawaiian Airlines – 82.1%
• Delta Air Lines Network – 81.3%
• Alaska Airlines Network – 80.6% 

Lowest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates August 2023 (ATCR Table 1)

• JetBlue Airways – 61.6%
• Frontier Airlines – 62.1%
• Spirit Airlines – 65.6%

August 2023 Flight Cancellations

In August 2023, reporting marketing carriers canceled 1.5% of their scheduled domestic flights, lower than the rate 2.5% in both July 2023 and in 2.5% in August 2022. The year-to-date cancellation rate for 2023 is 1.7%.

Lowest Marketing Carrier Rates of Canceled Flights August 2023 (ATCR Table 6)

• Alaska Airlines Network – 0.4%  
• Allegiant Air – 1.0%   
• United Airlines Network – 1.1%    

Highest Marketing Carrier Rates of Canceled Flights August 2023 (ATCR Table 6)

• Frontier Airlines – 5.0%    
• JetBlue Airways – 2.9%    
• Southwest Airlines – 1.6%    

Complaints About Airline Service

The Department continues to receive a high volume of air travel service complaints against airlines and ticket agents and its Office of Aviation Consumer Protection is processing them. The release of consumer complaint data in the ATCR has been delayed primarily because of the time needed to review and process these consumer complaints. The Department has been examining how best to review and process the consumer complaints received to avoid reporting delays as it is increasingly clear that consumer complaints are not returning to pre-pandemic levels. This review led the Department to seek a Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) investment to help modernize OACP’s outdated consumer complaint and case tracking application system that assists thousands of consumers each year. On September 29, the TMF announced that it was awarding DOT an $8 million grant towards this effort.

Tarmac Delays

In August 2023, airlines reported 18 tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights, compared to 63 tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights reported in July 2023. In August 2023, airlines reported one tarmac delay of more than four hours on international flights, compared to three tarmac delays reported in July 2023. 

Airlines are required to have and adhere to assurances that they will not allow aircraft to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours for domestic flights and four hours for international flights without providing passengers the option to deplane, subject to exceptions related to safety, security, and Air Traffic Control related reasons. An exception also exists for departure delays if the airline begins to return the aircraft to a suitable disembarkation point to deplane passengers by those times.

The Department investigates extended tarmac delays.

Mishandled Baggage

In August 2023, reporting marketing carriers handled 41.4 million bags and posted a mishandled baggage rate of 0.61%, lower than the rate of 0.75% in July 2023 and lower than the rate of 0.64% in August 2022.

The Department began displaying the mishandled baggage data as a percentage (i.e., per 100 bags enplaned) in January 2022. This is consistent with the manner that the mishandled wheelchairs and scooters rate is calculated and displayed.     In the prior three calendar year reports (2019 to 2021), the Department calculated the mishandled baggage rate based on the number of mishandled bags per 1,000 checked bags. 

Mishandled Wheelchairs and Scooters

In August 2023, reporting marketing carriers reported checking 72,825 wheelchairs and scooters and mishandling 1,104 for a rate of 1.52% mishandled wheelchairs and scooters, higher than both the rate of 1.39% mishandled in July 2023 and 1.43% mishandled in August 2022.

To address many of the significant barriers and challenges experienced by passengers who use wheelchairs, the Department has initiated a rulemaking proposing that, if adopted after public comment would, among other actions, make it an automatic violation of the Department’s Air Carrier Access Act regulations for airlines to mishandle a passenger’s wheelchair. This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking would also enhance training requirements for airline personnel who provide hands-on transfer assistance to passengers and handle wheelchairs. This rulemaking is currently under review by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.

Bumping/Oversales

Bumping/oversales data, unlike other air carrier data, are reported quarterly rather than monthly. For the second quarter of 2023, the 10 U.S. reporting marketing carriers posted an involuntary denied boarding, or bumping, rate of 0.36 per 10,000 passengers, higher than the rate of 0.29 in the first quarter of 2023 and equal to the rate of 0.36 in the second quarter of 2022.

Incidents Involving Animals

In August 2023, carriers reported zero incidents involving the death, injury, or loss of an animal while traveling by air, down from the one report filed in July 2023, but equal to the zero reports filed in August 2022.

Consumers may file air travel consumer or civil rights complaints online at http://airconsumer.dot.gov/escomplaint/ConsumerForm.cfm or by voicemail at (202) 366-2220, or they may mail a complaint to the Aviation Consumer Protection Division, U.S. Department of Transportation, C-75, W96-432, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20590.

The ATCR and other aviation consumer matters of interest to the public can be found at https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer .

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Air Traffic By The Numbers

Every day, FAA 's Air Traffic Organization ( ATO ) provides service to more than 45,000 flights and 2.9 million airline passengers across more than 29 million square miles of airspace. With an airspace system as vast and complex as ours, it is helpful to have an easy-to-reference source for relevant facts and information. View the infographic below for a glimpse into ATO , or for more information, see Air Traffic by the Numbers ( PDF ) . * based on FY23 figures

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Passenger Travel

• Passenger travel is described in the Transportation Statistics Annual Report and Passenger Travel Facts and Figures , and measured in selected tables of National Transportation Statistics and State Transportation Statistics .
• Daily Travel Statistics , estimates of persons staying home and traveling, and of trips by distance band for all modes, reported by day and by county, based on mobile device locations
• Airline passenger counts by airline, by airport, and between individual airports
• Airline ticket prices and origin-destination itineraries based on a sample of tickets issued
• Local Area Transportation Characteristics , estimates of trip frequency and miles traveled by households for individual Census tracts based on a statistical model
• Border Crossing Data with monthly number of passenger vehicle and person crossings by border location
• The National Transportation Library repository includes research reports, policy documents, and historical materials related to passenger travel.

COMPETITION AMONG AIRLINES GIVES CONSUMERS THE POWER OF CHOICE. LEARN MORE

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Data & Statistics

Air travelers in america: annual survey.

“Air Travelers in America” is A4A’s annual survey, conducted by Ipsos, collecting vital statistics about air travel. The most recent such poll, conducted January 4-12, 2024, screened a national sample of 3,452 adults (age 18 or older) to identify those who have “ever flown on an airplane” via the probability-based Ipsos KnowledgePanel®. Click here for the March 2024 survey summary: “Air Travelers in America: Key Findings of a Survey Conducted by Ipsos.”

Beginning in the early 1970s, the Air Transport Association of America (now known as Airlines for America) partnered with Gallup to poll the American public, by phone, with respect to air travel. The last such study was conducted in 1998. In late 2015, A4A relaunched the annual survey in partnership with premier online polling firm Ipsos.

Note: Historical survey results suggest that approximately half of the airline trips taken by Americans in the 1970s and 1980s were for business purposes. In recent years, that split has gravitated toward 25-30 percent business and 70-75 percent personal.

Methodology

This survey was partially conducted using the Ipsos KnowledgePanel, the most well-established online probability-based panel that is representative of the adult U.S. population. Panelists are recruited into this invitation-only panel via postal mailings to a random selection of residential addresses. To ensure that non-internet households are included, Ipsos provides an internet-enabled tablet to those who need them. Additional sample was obtained using a non-probability sample with a quota design to increase the overall study sample size and allow for analyses of subpopulation groups of interest.

Historical Survey Results re: Fraction of American Population That Flew

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US screens record-setting 2.99 million air passengers in single day

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North Korea blames South Korea, U.S. and Japan ties as Asian version of NATO

North Korea criticised a joint military exercise by South Korea, Japan and the United States held this month, state media said on Sunday, saying such drills show the relationship among three countries has developed into "the Asian version of NATO".

US screens record-setting air passengers in one day — here’s what to expect 4th of July week

American air travel is soaring to new heights

The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened a staggering 2.99 million passengers at airports across the country on Sunday — the highest number in a single day.

But it’s only going to get busier as summer travel takes full flight.

This coming Friday, the TSA says it expects to screen more than 3 million plane passengers ahead of Independence Day.

The number of Americans taking to the skies is up substantially when compared to last summer, with the TSA predicted to scan 32 million between Jun. 27 and Jul. 8 — an increase of 5.4% on those days last year.

Meanwhile, the agency says seven of the top 10 busiest travel days ever have occurred in the past month.

“We expect this summer to be our busiest ever and summer travel usually peaks over the Independence Day holiday,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement on Tuesday.

“The traveling public is on the move, which is a sign of a healthy economy. We are ready, along with our airline and airport partners, to handle this boost in passenger volumes,” he added.

The TSA is prepared for the increased number of travelers, saying they are “staffed to meet its wait time standards, which are 10 minutes and under in TSA PreCheck lanes and 30 minutes and under in standard screening lanes.”

Industry group Airlines for America said US carriers have also prepared for the increased demand in flights.

Between Jun. 1 and Aug. 31, the carriers are operating more than 26,000 daily flights — up 5.6% over 2023.

However, if your check-in goes smoothly, don’t expect to get off the ground on time.

The Federal Aviation Administration is struggling to address a persistent shortage of air traffic controllers, which will likely delay flights across the country.

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Changes to Pittsburgh International Airport checkpoint begin July 8

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – As airline passengers have begun to take to the skies for this summer travel period, the surge in passenger volume at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) in the early hours of the morning has started to exceed the capacity of the security checkpoints, particularly during the hours of 4 to 7 a.m. Mondays through Fridays. The increase in passenger volume is a result of additional flights that have been added by airlines to accommodate traveler demand.

Travelers who are booked on early morning flights are advised to get into the airport terminal at least two to three hours prior to their scheduled departure time because the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint lanes are the most crowded between 4 and 7 a.m.

In an effort to best meet the increase in early morning travel volume, we are adjusting passenger flow to facilitate checkpoint efficiency and improve the customer experience,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA Federal Security Director for the airport. “Starting on July 8, between the hours of 4 and 7 a.m., Mondays through Fridays, the alternate security checkpoint will be dedicated exclusively to travelers enrolled in TSA PreCheck® who are ticketed to fly out of PIT. PreCheck lanes at the main checkpoint will not be open during this time.

The move will expedite the screening process, maximize space and minimize line wait times for all travelers at both checkpoints. TSA piloted this change for a few days last month to determine whether it would improve passenger flow and the agency has decided to move forward with the change in early July.

Travel volume has increased tremendously during the past several months and the change is an effort to improve checkpoint efficiency and streamline passenger flow into the checkpoint during the early morning peak travel period. TSA PreCheck® passengers should proceed directly to the alternate checkpoint on the departures level as opposed to going to the main checkpoint Monday through Friday from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m.

After 7 a.m., a TSA PreCheck lane will be available at the main checkpoint through 8 p.m. The alternate checkpoint may reopen during the day on an as-needed basis, dependent on passenger volume to serve both TSA PreCheck and non-TSA PreCheck travelers.

Signs will be posted in the terminal to inform travelers of this change as they arrive in the terminal and make their way to the TSA checkpoints. TSA PreCheck passengers arriving at the main checkpoint 4 to 7 a.m. will be redirected to the alternate checkpoint. Save time by proceeding directly to the alternate checkpoint.

CLEAR passengers should still proceed to the main checkpoint.

TSA is staffed to screen passengers nationwide, including at PIT, however there are a limited number of checkpoint lanes at Pittsburgh and during the early morning peak period, the number of travelers exceeds the capacity of the checkpoints. PIT’s new terminal, expected to open in 2025, will alleviate checkpoint capacity issues.

The high passenger volume is a nationwide trend. On Sunday, June 23, TSA screened 2.99 million travelers nationwide. It set a record for the most people screened in a single day in TSA’s 22-year history. In fact, seven of TSA’s top 10 busiest days in history have taken place since mid-May.

Nationwide, TSA expects to screen more than 32 million individuals from Thursday, June 27, through Monday, July 8, which is a 5.4% increase over 2023 Independence Day holiday travel volumes.

This flight suddenly dropped 26,000 feet, injuring 17 passengers in latest Boeing incident

• A Korean Air flight experienced a sudden depressurization on Saturday.
• The incident happened in a timespan of about 10 minutes.
• 17 passengers were attended to by medics, and all were discharged without severe injuries.

A Korean Air flight on Saturday experienced a sudden depressurization that left multiple passengers with ear pain and hyperventilation, according to the Korea JoongAng Daily . 

Flight KE189 departed Incheon Airport as scheduled and was about 50 minutes into its journey to Taichung International Airport in Taiwan when it plunged about 26,246 feet and turned around to return to Incheon, according to FlightRadar24 . 

The incident happened in a timespan of about 10 minutes, Taipei Times reported. A spokesperson for Korean Air said oxygen masks were deployed.

Taipei Times reported the cause of the incident to be a fault in the Boeing 737 MAX 8’s pressurization system, but Korean Air did not confirm that detail with USA TODAY. The pressurization system on modern airplanes is typically automatic and begins as soon as takeoff occurs, pumping in conditioned air for passengers to breathe safely in the cabin when at high altitudes.

Once the plane landed in Korea, 17 passengers were attended to by medics, and all were discharged without severe injuries, Korean Air told USA TODAY in an email statement. The airline provided passengers with accommodations for the night, meals and transportation arrangements.

Learn more: Best travel insurance

Is it safe to fly Boeing? Boeing is working to fix safety in its factories.

“We are fully cooperating with all relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident,” a Korean Air spokesperson said.

“Our commitment to the safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remains unchanged. We apologize to all affected by this incident.”

The Korean Airlines incident comes in the wake of another Boeing 737 Max 8 (flying for Southwest Airlines) experiencing a Dutch roll when flying from Phoenix to Oakland. No injuries were reported in that incident. 

Boeing has faced increased scrutiny this year following the high-profile Alaska Airlines incident , leading to an investigation and more oversight by the Federal Aviation Administration and Congress. 

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected] .

The Key Points at the top of this article were created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and reviewed by a journalist before publication. No other parts of the article were generated using AI. Learn more .

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Airplane suddenly drops 25,000 feet midflight, injuring 17 passengers

Boeing 737 max 8 was quickly diverted back to seoul, south korea.

Passengers in Miami stuck on sweltering flight

American Airlines passengers say they were stuck on a hot Boeing jet that was suffering electrical problems in Miami before switching to another plane Thursday. (Terri and Bobbie Barbour)

Over a dozen plane passengers were injured after their flight dropped 25,000 feet and flew in circles several times, flight tracker data shows.

The flight, Korean Air 189, departed from Seoul, South Korea, at around 4 p.m. local time on Saturday. Although the plane was expected in Taichung, Taiwan, around three hours later, the flight quickly diverted back to Seoul after it reached the southern tip of the Korean peninsula.

According to FlightAware, the aircraft was a Boeing 737 MAX 8. Yonhap News Agency reported that the diversion was caused by a problem with the plane's pressurization system.

During the diversion, the aircraft made a steep 25,000-foot descent — roughly 4.75 miles — over the course of around eight minutes, injuring roughly 17 of the flight's 125 passengers.

THESE US AIRPORTS ARE THE WORST TO FLY OUT OF — SEE THE LIST

Seventeen Korean Air passengers sought medical attention after their plane made a sudden drop midflight. (iStock)

FlightAware data shows that the airplane appeared to fly in an oval shape several times before it headed back to Seoul. The plane landed shortly after 7:30 p.m. local time.

South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport told Yonhap News Agency that 15 passengers hyperventilated and suffered eardrum pain during the sudden drop.

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Korean Air told Fox Business that it apologizes to anyone negatively impacted by the flight. (iStock)

Korean Air confirmed the incident to Fox Business. In a statement, the airline said it is "fully cooperating with all relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident."

The airline also confirmed that 17 flight passengers underwent medical treatment when the plane landed. According to Korea Air, the passengers have all been discharged with no severe injuries.

For more Lifestyle articles, visit foxbusiness.com/lifestyle.

Korean Air says no passengers suffered serious injuries on the recent flight. (iStock / iStock)

A spokesperson also added that all affected passengers have been given accomodation, meals and other arrangements by the airline.

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"Our commitment to the safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remains unchanged," the Korea Air spokesperson added. "We apologize to all affected by this incident."

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Aer Lingus pilots launch work-to-rule actions, tossing travel plans of passengers into disarray

FILE - Aer Lingus Airbus A320 plane lands at Dublin airport, Ireland, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015. Aer Lingus pilots launched an industrial action on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, leading to the cancellation of hundreds of flights and tossing the travel plans of tens of thousands into disarray. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison, File)

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LONDON (AP) — Aer Lingus pilots said they would resume talks with the Irish airline after they launched an industrial action Wednesday that led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights and tossed the travel plans of tens of thousands into disarray.

The pilots imposed ‘’work to rule’’ actions, refusing to work overtime, accepting changes in set rosters or taking out-of-hours management requests.

The Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association said it would resume talks Thursday with Aer Lingus as the labor action continues.

An eight-hour strike is planned on Saturday.

The flag carrier of Ireland and its pilots have been locked in a bitter dispute over pay, with pilots seeking a pay increase of 24% to keep pace with inflation since their last pay raise in 2019. Aer Lingus has said it is willing to offer pay increases of 12.5% or more if “productivity and flexibility” are discussed.

Ireland’s prime minister, Simon Harris, said it is “absolutely vital” that a resolution is found.

“My challenge to the parties now is to bring that engagement forward, rather than putting people through a prolonged period of agony and chaos, and then engaging in the end anyway,” Harris said Tuesday. “This dispute will be settled the same way every dispute is settled: compromise, engagement, sitting around a table. That’s what needs to happen.”

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Passenger airlines in the U.S. - Statistics & Facts

Types of airlines, impact of the covid-19 pandemic on u.s. airlines, key insights.

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Number of U.S. air carriers 1995-2024

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Summer travel chaos as Gatwick contends with passenger diversions and looming strikes

On Friday the airport was dealing with the aftermath of a plane stuck on its runway and threats of July disruptions by a major trade union

Families are facing travel chaos as thousands of airline passengers were diverted away from Gatwick Airport after a plane sat on the runway for more than half an hour on Friday.

The British Airways flight, a scheduled service to Vancouver, was left stranded after the pilots on board carried out an emergency drill to stop the airliner during its takeoff run because of a technical problem.

The aeroplane, a Boeing 777-200ER , was then stuck on the airport’s runway for another 38 minutes after the “rejected takeoff”, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24.

News of the diversions broke as a major trade union threatened to cause extra disruption in July during the key summer holiday getaway period.

Around 300 security and passenger assistance staff are going on strike across two three-day periods in July - including the vital weekend of July 19 to 21, which is the first weekend after most of the country’s schools break up for summer, Unite said.

Disruption this summer is also expected as a result of the threat of delays and cancellations amid a shortage of air traffic control (ATC) staff.

Ryanair has already scrapped dozens of flights after a shortfall in controllers at a major Dutch ATC centre left planes out of position and unable to perform morning departures.

Meanwhile, police arrested 27 Just Stop Oil protesters on Friday on suspicion of planning to cause widespread disruption at airports during the summer holidays.

Scotland Yard said arrests took place across the country and a number of “key organisers” had been detained.

The force said coordinated raids had taken place in 10 counties, including London, Oxford, Surrey, Norfolk, Manchester and West Yorkshire.

JSO had previously hinted that it planned to disrupt summer holidays in a “sustained period of action”, warning that an attack on Stansted Airport last week, where two private jets were sprayed with orange paint, was just a “prelude”.

All the suspects were arrested under a section of the Public Order Act which makes it illegal to conspire to disrupt national infrastructure.

The arrests began on Tuesday, when four people were arrested after “being identified at Gatwick Airport”.

They have since been released on bail.

Friday’s disruption at the airport resulted in passengers on 17 inbound flights being diverted to other airports as far as Brussels.

Six easyJet flights were diverted to Luton and Stansted, while the pilots of an Emirates A380 super-jumbo from Dubai chose to land in the Belgian capital.

Other airlines, including Ryanair and Vueling, sent some flights to Luton and Stansted, while a Norwegian flight ended up at Bournemouth airport on the south coast.

Data from Flightradar24 suggested around 40 Gatwick flights were delayed following the incident.

A British Airways spokesman said: “Our pilots took the precautionary decision to cancel takeoff due to a technical issue. Safety is always our top priority and we apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused.”

Passengers at Gatwick said on social media that the airport fire service had been called out to hose down the Boeing’s brakes and cool them after the rejected takeoff, an emergency measure which can heat brakes to several hundred degrees.

Airliner tyres are protected with “fuse plugs” which melt if they get too hot, safely letting the high-pressure air inside escape in a controlled manner to prevent a dangerous explosion.

A Gatwick airport spokesman said: “The main runway was closed for a short time today due to a departing aircraft having hot brakes.

“Safety is our top priority and the dedicated airport fire service swiftly attended to support the aircraft.

“A number of flights were diverted. The runway is now open and operating as normal.”

A spokesman added the airport hoped it could “reach a resolution” before the planned strikes took place.

“We are working with our suppliers to avoid any impacts and we expect to operate a normal summer holiday flight schedule for our airlines and passengers on these dates,” she said.

Meg Reed, a director of passenger assistance firm Wilson James, accused Unite’s members of rejecting a pay deal that would have seen wages rise by almost a fifth above the National Living Wage.

“The company has put forward three above inflation pay offers to our team, the most recent of which would secure an 8 per cent pay increase by October, which has been rejected by Unite members who voted against acceptance in their workplace ballot,” she said.

An ICTS spokesman said its 100 security screening personnel who voted to go on strike had also rejected an 8 per cent pay rise offer.

Contingency plans are in place at the airport to minimise disruption, both companies added.

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