Official: ‘Anticipating an uptick’ More people are flying; what April at Sky Harbor was like
After months of decreased demand for air travel, there are some promising signs of improvement. While nowhere close to normal for the busy summer months, airports across the country are starting to see small increases in passenger traffic as coronavirus quarantines expire and states reopen for business. That includes here in Phoenix. “While even our May numbers won’t be available until the end of the month, we have been seeing an increase in our passenger traffic week over week, and we anticipate that to continue in July as more flights resume,” said Heather Shelbrack, spokeswoman for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
TSA reports increase in screenings nationwide
One place we’re starting to see some concrete numbers on that increase is in the number of passengers the Transportation Security Administration screens each day. While the agency does not release airport-specific figures, it does release national numbers daily. Those show a steady increase in screenings.
On Sunday, June 7, TSA agents screened 441,255 passengers nationwide. That’s far below the 2.7 million screened on that date in 2019, but it’s up significantly from the lowest point of the COVID-19 crisis on April 14.
On that day, the agency screened just 87,534 passengers nationwide, compared to 2.2 million on the same date in 2019.
April passenger numbers at Sky Harbor
The airport’s statistics for April show just 282,243 passengers. Compare that with April 2019, when 3.9 million travelers used the airport.
That’s a 92.9% drop in passenger traffic.
In response to the decrease, many airports restaurants are closed. A representative for SSP America, one of the two largest companies managing restaurants at Sky Harbor, told the Phoenix City Council in a meeting about rent relief that just five of the company’s 32 locations at Sky Harbor were open.
Entire concourses are closed as airlines work to streamline their service.
But, some promising news came last week from American Airlines, which said it would reopen its lounges and increase
its schedule to 121 daily flights in July.
American is the largest airline at Sky Harbor, so that’s a positive sign of what lies ahead in July.
“July is typically a busier month for us in general, and though we will not likely achieve our usual numbers, we do anticipate an uptick,” Shelbrack said.
If you’re planning to travel soon
If you haven’t traveled since the pandemic started, make sure to review some important health information before you go.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a website dedicated to advice about traveling during the pandemic. Go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus for the latest information.
In addition, Sky Harbor has a new
section on its website dedicated for health information: https://www.skyharbor.com/BeforeTraveling.
You should also review TSA’s information about screenings, including what you’re allowed to bring through security in light of the crisis. Go to https:// www.tsa.gov/coronavirus.
Masks at the airport and on the plane
Also familiarize yourself with your airline’s new coronavirus policies before you fly. Many airlines now require passengers to wear masks during flight, and some require temperature checks.
You will need to wear a mask inside Sky Harbor Airport. If you forget to bring one, don’t worry. Here’s where you can
buy one:
Terminal 4
❚ Trip Advisor (Gates A1-A14).