Home » AIRLINE NEWS » Airline News of US » Italy, Canada, France, UK, Spain, Netherlands, and Scotland Spark New US Memorial Day Travel Surge as Over Thirteen Million Fly Amid Falling Fares and Controller Shortages
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
US experienced a historic Memorial Day travel surge in 2025, driven by a powerful return of international travelers from Italy, Canada, France, UK, Spain, Netherlands, and Scotland, whose renewed presence helped propel airport screenings to over thirteen million passengers—the highest ever recorded during the holiday weekend. This dramatic spike was fueled by a combination of falling airfare prices, a favorable dollar-to-euro exchange rate, and pent-up demand from both sides of the Atlantic, all unfolding despite ongoing concerns over air traffic controller shortages across U.S. airports.
Memorial Day 2025 will go down in history as more than just the start of the American summer travel season—it marked a moment of global reconnection. With a wave of inbound and outbound movement between the United States and major travel partners including Italy, Canada, France, the UK, Greece, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Scotland, the country experienced a record-shattering surge in passenger volume. For the first time, the Transportation Security Administration screened over thirteen million travelers during the five-day holiday window, underscoring how both international and domestic demand have roared back with unprecedented force.
From Thursday through Monday, TSA agents processed more than 13.6 million passengers across U.S. airports. That figure easily surpassed the 13.4 million travelers counted during Memorial Day weekend in 2024. The busiest day came on Friday, when over 3 million passengers were screened in a single 24-hour period—just the third time in the agency’s 24-year history that such a figure was recorded. The numbers weren’t just big—they were historic.
What drove this rush? Several forces aligned at once: airfare costs took a noticeable dip, international tourists returned in volume, and the strong U.S. dollar made foreign travel more appealing for Americans. Cities like Rome, Vancouver, Paris, London, Athens, Dublin, Barcelona, Amsterdam, and Edinburgh became central players in the travel rebound, acting as major gateways for transatlantic flights.
U.S. travelers have been eyeing Europe for months, and now the timing was right. Data from the Consumer Price Index confirmed that average airline fares were down nearly 9% year-over-year, giving price-sensitive travelers a long-awaited chance to book that dream trip overseas. Simultaneously, international tourists—especially from Canada, the UK, France, and Ireland—poured back into the U.S., boosting inbound numbers and helping fill hotels from New York to San Francisco.
But this wasn’t just a rebound. It was a recalibration.
During the height of the pandemic, flight routes were slashed, airport staffing was gutted, and air traffic controller hiring slowed to a crawl. Now, those same issues are rearing their heads in a very different way. The FAA has been sounding the alarm about a persistent shortage of certified air traffic controllers, a concern that many feared would cause massive delays over the holiday period. And yet—surprisingly—most airports managed to hold steady. There were some delays, yes. But thanks to extra TSA staff, revised scheduling by airlines, and emergency coverage at major FAA hubs, the feared gridlock never materialized.
Still, the cracks are there. Airlines have already warned that unless the controller shortage is addressed, peak summer weekends could face strain. Memorial Day may have held, but July 4th could be a different story.
Beyond the skies, America’s highways saw their own flood of travelers. AAA projected that 39.4 million people would travel by car over the Memorial Day weekend, each covering more than 50 miles. That figure reflects more than just wanderlust—it signals that families are willing to brave crowded roads to reclaim summer memories that were lost to years of restrictions, uncertainty, and high prices.
On both fronts—air and road—the return of travelers was matched by a rise in spending. Hotels, especially in cities with strong cultural and entertainment draws, reported near full occupancy. Inbound visitors from Spain and Italy helped fill coastal resorts in Florida and California, while tourists from the Netherlands and Scotland showed strong interest in national parks and cross-country rail journeys.
There’s also evidence that travelers are staying longer. Booking platforms noted a 14% increase in average trip duration compared to last year. This trend, analysts say, is a product of pent-up demand mixed with shifting work habits—especially among international visitors who can work remotely while exploring the U.S. Digital nomads from Amsterdam, London, and Dublin are increasingly seeking extended stays, often blending leisure with work.
Meanwhile, airlines have responded quickly to the surge. Several U.S. and European carriers added temporary service to handle demand. Additional direct routes were reactivated between U.S. hubs and European cities, including nonstop flights from Chicago to Athens, Boston to Edinburgh, and San Francisco to Barcelona. Load factors were so high that many airlines reported waitlists for basic economy seats across the weekend.
Customs and Border Protection officials, too, reported longer-than-usual lines at key entry points, with special staffing deployed at airports in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles to accommodate the rise in international arrivals.
This new surge has also revived conversations about long-term tourism infrastructure. Industry leaders say that what happened over Memorial Day wasn’t just a one-off—it was a dress rehearsal for a record-setting summer. If trends continue, the U.S. could see full pre-pandemic travel volume restored across both air and land borders by late July.
At its core, the 2025 Memorial Day travel boom tells a bigger story. Despite global uncertainties, logistical strains, and labor gaps, people are not just willing—but eager—to travel again. The presence of visitors from Italy, Canada, France, the UK, Greece, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Scotland wasn’t just symbolic. It was confirmation that borders may close, but human connection always finds a way back.
This was more than a holiday—it was a collective exhale, a celebration of movement, and a moment of global reconnection led by some of America’s closest travel partners.
Tags: Canada, france, greece, ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Scotland, spain, travel industry, Travel News, UK, US
