Salt Lake City Airport expects summer travel to surpass 2019 numbers
May 18, 2021, 4:07 PM | Updated: 4:51 pm
Officials with Salt Lake City International Airport expect their summer flight numbers to actually exceed what they did in 2019. (PHOTO: KSL NewsRadio)
(PHOTO: KSL NewsRadio)
SALT LAKE CITY– As Utah’s vaccination rollout continues, local travel leaders are expecting a busy summer, especially at the airport.
Summer of travel
At Salt Lake City International Airport there’s an expectation the number of departing flights will soon eclipse numbers from 2019.
At a press conference Tuesday, airport spokeswoman Nancy Volmer projected a total of 11,059 departing flights in June and another 11,686 flights in July. Both those figures would represent 105% of the departing flights in June and July 2019.
For context, Salt Lake City International only saw 4,515 departing flights in June 2020.
What can travelers expect when departing @slcairport this summer? Here’s an overview & helpful @TSA travel tips. And, don’t miss important info and stats on the recent increase in firearms brought in carry-on luggage by travelers departing SLC. https://t.co/IOlu2SXYXw pic.twitter.com/d4KR6mGM6K
— TSA_Pacific (@TSA_Pacific) May 18, 2021
Adding to the list of destinations
Beyond a pent-up travel demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Volmer says many people are attracted to the new destinations offered by the airport.
“We’ve seen Delta service to Anchorage, to Durango, to Fairbanks and Moab just in the past couple of weeks,” she explained.
Additionally, they’re adding some options for travelers looking to fly overseas.
“We’re very excited that on May 27 we have the first nonstop European flight to Amsterdam that is on the books,” she said.
Quick demonstration on how to properly travel with a firearm. TSA says they’re seeing a significant increase in the number of firearms brought by travelers in carry-on luggage to the security checkpoint this year. @kslnewsradio pic.twitter.com/axGgde32n0
— John Wojcik (@wojKSL) May 18, 2021
In June, Salt Lake City International will offer 95 nonstop destinations and 370 daily departures.
For staff at the airport, this summer is almost a second opportunity to showcase their new facility to a different traveling audience.
“This will be the first time that a lot of travelers are going to be experiencing the new airport,” said Volmer.
