It’s a story of feast, famine – and somewhere in between – when it comes to airline seats to be available in the last quarter of the year at local airports.
According to figures from the Airlines for America trade group, based on data from Cirium, Washington Dulles International Airport is expected to see an increase in seat availability of 10.5 percent for October-November-December compared to a year before.
On the other end of the spectrum, total airline seats at Baltimore-Washington International Airport for the quarter are expected to be down 4.3 percent.
In the middle is Ronald Reagan Washington Airport, with an expected 1.7 percent increase.
Of the nation’s busiest airports, 48 are showing higher year-over-year seat inventories for the quarter, with 16 lower.
For 2024, Airlines for America is projecting a national total of 989 million passengers enplaned, a new record and up from 942 million in 2023.