Summer air travel will increase 1.5%, group forecasts

NEW YORK » More travelers will take to the skies this summer, the U.S. airlines’ trade and lobby group predicted.

About 210 million passengers — or 2.28 million a day — are expected to fly on U.S. carriers between June 1 and Aug. 31. That’s up 1.5 percent from last summer and the highest level in six years, according to the trade and lobbying group Airlines for America. U.S. carriers are increasing the available seat miles they fly by 4.5 percent.

The forecast includes 29.9 million travelers — or 325,000 a day — flying U.S. airlines to international destinations, an all-time high. Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan are the top five nonstop international destinations, based on published schedules.

Ten of the busiest 15 days of the year will fall within the three-month period, the group said.