Christmas Travel Demand Surges, English-Speaking Airlines Beaming with Joy

UK and US Airlines Set Record High for Travelers
Post-Pandemic Trend Prioritizes Vacation Over Discretionary Spending

As global travel demand expands this year, English-speaking airlines are experiencing their busiest Christmas season, major foreign media including CBS reported on the 23rd (local time).

According to aviation data company Cirium, airlines in the UK are scheduled to operate a total of 6.1 million seats from December 20 to January 2. This is a 5% increase compared to the previous record set in 2019. The most popular international destinations departing from the UK include Amsterdam, Dublin, Geneva, and Paris.

Reuters Yonhap News

The US aviation industry is also heating up. According to A4A, the association representing the US airline industry, the number of passengers crossing the Atlantic using US airlines between December 19 and January 6 is expected to reach 54 million, a 6% increase compared to the same period last year, marking an all-time high. A4A added that US airlines are offering 140,000 more seats daily than during the 2023 holiday period.

Regarding the sustained rise in travel demand even after the pandemic, airline CEOs diagnosed that despite years of high inflation, consumers seem to prioritize vacations and travel over other discretionary spending.

The record-breaking air travel demand is expected to continue next year. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the number of air passengers in 2025 is estimated to reach 5.2 billion, about 7% more than this year. In this case, the global number of air passengers will set a record by surpassing 5 billion for the first time ever.

Regarding this, Willie Walsh, IATA Director General, evaluated, "Although the passenger growth rate this year (10.7%) is somewhat slower, it has returned to a normal level after the rare recovery immediately following the pandemic."

Meanwhile, ABC News predicted that this year’s Christmas and New Year holiday period will be the busiest in history for both air and road travel in the US. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), about 119.3 million people are expected to travel more than 50 miles by car between December 21 and January 1, exceeding the 2019 record by approximately 64,000 people.

EPA Yonhap News

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.