KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Travel throughout the United States is beginning to take off.
A spokesperson for Kansas City International Airport said Kansas City is tracking better than other U.S. airports in screenings and boardings.
Before the pandemic, KCI would see around 30,000 travelers per day. Now, that number is around 8,000.
During the pandemic, more than 100 planes have been stored at KCI. This week, several of them left, and KCI expects a few to depart each day.
As more people plan to travel, there are some changes to note.
Airlines are setting their own capacity, and masks must be worn on flights. The check-in and security process is similar to what it has been in the past.
A Kansas City-area travel agency, Acendas Travel, told 41 Action News the company's president and vice president went on a trip to Minneapolis to get a better idea of what travel looks like during the pandemic.
“I wore a mask through TSA and then I was surprised that you don’t have to wear a mask," said Joe Curtis, senior vice president. "They actually have you take it down when you get up there so they can identify you with your driver's license so they can make sure it’s you."
Curtis said masks are required once you board your flight.
As people begin to travel again, each airport will look different from the other. At KCI, most vendors are still closed.
Acendas Travel told 41 Action News that its clients are beginning to book trips for the summer.
“We’re seeing our advanced bookings go up and we’re comparing those to airlines and hotels and rental cars," president Brent Blake said. "We’re all seeing a tick up in June, and then in July we’re seeing numbers up 30-40% of where they were in 2019."
By the end of the year, Blake expects travel to pick up to 50% of what it was before the pandemic.
