MOLINE, Ill. — Delta Airlines has already set a record for summer bookings, and the Quad Cities International Airport expects to see that impact.
Moline offers two flights a day to Atlanta through Delta, and the airline says it's already increased the number of international flights with 75% of seats already being sold out.
News 8's Charles Hart spoke with Quad Cities Intl. Airport public relations and marketing manager Ashleigh Davis. She said this will benefit the airport because they expect a lot of their flights to places like Atlanta and back to be full.
"In terms of summertime travel numbers, we're starting to look at it now with a fresh lens," Davis said. "We used to always go back to 2019 levels, that was our marker of recovery. With so many changes in the industry, we still look back at it to some degree. But so many changes have been made in terms of how people operate and where people are flying, even flying behaviors have changed quite dramatically."
Davis also said all airlines at the airport in Moline, not just Delta, are expecting stronger summer booking numbers, some even slated to return to pre-pandemic levels.
"So you'll see a lot of regional aircraft are trying to move away from the 50-seat airplanes that you see a lot out of airports of our size," Davis said. "Instead, they want to move on up to a 70-seat aircraft. So that means instead of, let's say, three flights a day on a 50 seater, maybe they'll do two flights a day and a 70 seater."
Davis said there is still a slight supply and demand issue because of the ongoing pilot shortage which forces some airlines to take pilots away from smaller regional airports like MLI.
Delta Airlines has also given eligible employees 5% raises that started on April first. You can read more on those pay increases by clicking/tapping here.
It is recommended passengers start searching for those summer flights early, to see what ticket prices are looking like. You can check out what airlines are offered at QC Intl. Airport, and even visit those airlines' websites to book a flight, by clicking/tapping here.