While box office numbers flagged this Memorial Day weekend, airplane passenger numbers took off, with the TSA reporting a record-breaking 2.95M travelers passing through airport security on Friday — the highest number ever on a single day.
That’s up from the previous record of 2.9M, set on the Sunday after last year’s Thanksgiving weekend, and far surpasses passenger counts seen since 2020 as air travel recovered from a pandemic-era slowdown. It seems now, though, that Americans are back to catching flights in full force.
According to TSA data, the average daily passenger throughput for 2024 so far is 2.36M, some 47% more than that seen for 2021, and similar to the average recorded for full-year 2023 (2.35M)… even before we reach the heights of summer holiday season. Indeed, Airlines for America have forecast that 271M passengers will travel on US airlines between June 1 and August 31 this year, up more than 6% from the previous summer.
Hot air
But as airports prepare for their busiest summer yet, the industry is still grappling with a shortage of some 3,000 air traffic controllers across the US, per the FAA, as well as climate complications that could wreak havoc on weather conditions. Indeed, America is gearing up for another scorching summer, which can, in turn, lead to more extreme weather events — with the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season already predicted to be the most aggressive on record.
More Business
See all Business
Washington D.C. looks set to get America’s second Sphere
Revenue for the Las Vegas version of the big orb has soared, but the sphere is still a money pit.
Ford reportedly in talks to buy hybrid vehicle batteries from Chinese auto giant BYD
Detroit’s Ford and China’s BYD are said to be in ongoing talks to partner on an agreement that would see Ford buy hybrid vehicle batteries from BYD, according to reporting from The Wall Street Journal.
The report comes just days after President Trump toured a Ford factory in Michigan and implied openness to Chinese automakers coming to the US.
“If they want to come in and build a plant... that’s great, I love that,” Trump said on January 13. “Let China come in, let Japan come in.”
Last week, China’s Geely Automobile Holdings said it expects to make an announcement about expanding into the US within the next three years. Chinese carmakers currently face huge tariffs and software restrictions, effectively barring their vehicles from the US.
Ford has doubled down on hybrid vehicles amid high EV costs and the end of federal EV tax credits. The automaker is currently building a battery plant in Michigan where it plans to use tech from Chinese battery maker CATL.
“If they want to come in and build a plant... that’s great, I love that,” Trump said on January 13. “Let China come in, let Japan come in.”
Last week, China’s Geely Automobile Holdings said it expects to make an announcement about expanding into the US within the next three years. Chinese carmakers currently face huge tariffs and software restrictions, effectively barring their vehicles from the US.
Ford has doubled down on hybrid vehicles amid high EV costs and the end of federal EV tax credits. The automaker is currently building a battery plant in Michigan where it plans to use tech from Chinese battery maker CATL.
Lawsuit alleges Lilly, Novo locked up telehealth to kill compounded GLP-1s
Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustdar estimated that around 1.5 million US patients are using compounded versions of the company’s drugs.
Big Pharma enters 2026 with an appetite for deals
At the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference, biotechs and Big Pharma signaled they’re primed for M&A this year, after a big year for deals in 2025.