The number of flights scheduled to depart Europe for the US this month will reach 98 per cent of pre-Covid capacity, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. The news comes as the US reopens to unvaccinated travellers today for the first time since 2020.
The month of May will see 15,171 flights take-off from Europe bound for the US, just 240 fewer than in May 2019 (15,411). Overall seat capacity is further behind, however, with more than 4 million seats available this month equating to around 93 per cent of the 4.3 million scheduled in May 2019.
Compared to May 2022, the number of flights from Europe to the US is up 15 per cent and, compared to May 2021, it is up 305 per cent.
New York JFK remains the most popular destination for scheduled flights from Europe, followed by Newark, Chicago, Washington DC and Boston.
United Airlines will operate the most flights from Europe to the US, followed by Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, British Airways and Lufthansa.
Some 4,414 flights from the UK alone will depart for the US in May, amounting to 99 per cent of May 2019 departures when 4,456 flights were scheduled. The vast majority (86 per cent) of those will depart from London Heathrow, with London Gatwick contributing six per cent, and Edinburgh and Manchester three per cent each.