July 2024 marked an important period for international air travel to and from the United States, with passenger numbers surpassing pre-pandemic figures.

Data from the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) indicates that U.S. international air traffic passenger enplanements reached 26.729 million, reflecting a 7.3% rise compared to July 2023.

This increase brings total enplanements to an impressive 105.7% of the volume recorded in July 2019, demonstrating a strong recovery in global travel.

Growth in Non-U.S. Citizen Arrivals

A notable aspect of the data is the uptick in non-U.S. citizen arrivals by air into the United States. In July 2024, there were 5.518 million foreign passengers, representing an 8.3% increase from the same month in 2023. Although this figure corresponds to 91.1% of arrivals seen in July 2019, it highlights the ongoing revival of international tourism to the U.S.

Overseas visitor arrivals remained robust, with 3.425 million visitors recorded for July 2024, marking the thirty-third consecutive month where overseas visitor counts have surpassed one million. Compared to pre-pandemic statistics, overseas visitor arrivals reached 85.6% of those seen in July 2019, indicating a steady growth from 83.3% noted in June 2024.

Rising Departures Among U.S. Citizens

There has also been an increase in U.S. citizens traveling abroad, with departures totaling 7.642 million in July 2024—up by 6.6% compared to July 2023.

Notably, this figure exceeds pre-pandemic levels by 18.3%, illustrating a strong interest among Americans for international travel.

Regional Air Travel Insights

Analyzing data by region reveals that Europe remains a top destination, with air travel between the U.S. and Europe accounting for 8.495 million passengers in July 2024—an increase of 6.8% over July 2023 and up by 2.9% compared to July 2019.

However, it is important to note that while departures of U.S. citizens to Europe increased by 16.9% relative to July 2019, arrivals of European citizens into the U.S. fell by 15%.

The South/Central America/Caribbean region also experienced significant growth, welcoming approximately 6.410 million passengers traveling to and from the U.S., up by 5.9% over last year and a substantial increase of 15% compared to July 2019.

In contrast, air travel between the U.S. and Asia presented mixed outcomes; total passenger counts reached about 2.701 million, a rise of 16.6% over last year but down by 21.7% when compared with figures from July 2019. Specifically, Asian citizen arrivals decreased by 36%, whereas departures of U.S. citizens heading for Asia saw a slight uptick of 0.5%.

Leading Airports and Ports

Among U.S ports servicing international destinations, New York\’s JFK Airport was at the forefront, accommodating 3.719 million passengers during July 2024.

Other major airports included Los Angeles (LAX) at 2.401 million passengers; Miami (MIA) with 2.316 million; San Francisco (SFO) handling 1.637 million; and Newark (EWR) at 1.612 million.

Across the Atlantic, London Heathrow (LHR) led as the busiest foreign airport serving destinations within the United States with approximately 1.804 million passengers.

Other prominent foreign airports included Toronto (YYZ) hosting about 1.206 million passengers; Cancun (CUN) with roughly 1.138 million; Paris (CDG), which welcomed around 929,000; and Mexico City (MEX) receiving about 845,000 travelers.