#shorthaul

Short haul flights are increasing again in the United States

I don’t think we have to tell you anymore that the attacks of 9/11 had a big influence on our world and the aviation world.  

The attacks especially had a big influence on the short haul market of the United States. After the attacks airlines saw a 10% drop of passengers during 2000 and 2002 but on the short haul flights the drop was even bigger, 20%. Short haul flights are routs less than 500 miles. On the routes less than 200 miles there even was a drop of 36%.  

The drop was of course caused by the fear of travelling with an airplane after the attacks but on the short haul flights also because stricter security means longer processes. Passengers used to show up 20 minutes before their flight, now they had to be at the airport more than one hour before their flight. This made travelling by air for a short distance a lot less attractive, because you didn’t win that much time anymore.

In 2008 and 2009 there was again a drop in the short haul flights because of higher fuel prices.

But today, airlines like Southwest are slowly increasing their short-hauls again, starting with the California market. This is possible because of their PreChecks. In august 94% of their PreChecks only had to wait 5 minutes at the security. This means that the airports have become more efficient and faster again, which is positive for the short haul flights.

Southwest, the dominant airline in California isn’t the only airline who has increased their short haul flights United and Alaska have both also grown their intra-California seat count.

We will follow the trend and keep you updated!