Airlines count on business travelers to keep recovery going

By DAVID KOENIG
AP Airlines Writer

DALLAS (AP) — The summer vacation season is winding down, and for airlines that means the return of business travelers is very important. Leisure travel in the United States is roughly back to pre-pandemic levels, but airlines say business is still about 25% below 2019 levels. Business travelers generally pay higher fares, so the absence of so many of them has an outsized impact on airline revenue and profit. The Global Business Travel Association predicts that corporate travel won’t fully return until mid-2026. Experts say business travel is lagging behind because many white-collar workers still have not returned to their offices, and some trips are being replaced by video meetings.