United States international travel saw a noticeable increase in April 2025, as new data from the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) reveals a continued rebound in global air traffic. Passenger volumes not only surpassed last year’s totals but also exceeded pre-pandemic levels in several key segments.
International Air Passenger Volumes Continue Upward
Total U.S.-international air traffic passenger enplanements in April 2025 reached 22.116 million—an increase of 2.8% compared to April 2024. Even more notably, this figure marks 104.95% of the enplanement volume recorded in April 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global travel.
This growth reflects both a recovery in inbound travel to the United States and a surge in outbound travel by American citizens. Here’s how the numbers break down:
- Non-U.S. citizen air passenger arrivals from abroad totaled 5.040 million, up 2.9% from April 2024. This equates to 88.2% of April 2019 levels.
- Overseas visitor arrivals to the U.S. totaled 3.047 million, up 8.0% year-over-year, and representing 85.6% of April 2019 levels.
- U.S. citizen air passenger departures to foreign destinations totaled 5.919 million, a 6.2% increase from April 2024—exceeding April 2019 figures by a staggering 24.7%.
Travel by Global Region
Passenger travel between the United States and various global regions showed both gains and gaps in recovery depending on the direction of travel and origin country. Below is a region-by-region breakdown:
| Region | Total Passengers (M) | vs April 2024 | vs April 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 6.396 | +4.4% | +3.2% |
| South/Central America & Caribbean | 5.450 | +0.4% | +12.2% |
| Asia | 2.542 | +9.3% | -14.7% |
Notably, Asia remains the only region still trailing its 2019 totals. Asian citizen arrivals to the U.S. are down 35.7% compared to April 2019, although U.S. citizens traveling to Asia rose 14.4% year-over-year.
Top Country and Airport Connections
Some of the busiest routes in April 2025 provide insight into where travelers are heading—and where they’re coming from. The leading countries for U.S.-international air travel were:
- Mexico: 3.449 million passengers
- Canada: 2.485 million passengers
- United Kingdom: 1.765 million passengers
- Dominican Republic: 913,000 passengers
- Japan: 875,000 passengers
Meanwhile, the most active U.S. airports for international service were:
- New York (JFK): 2.955 million passengers
- Los Angeles (LAX): 2.011 million passengers
- Miami (MIA): 1.982 million passengers
- Newark (EWR): 1.328 million passengers
- San Francisco (SFO): 1.310 million passengers
On the foreign side, the top international airports serving U.S. travelers included:
- London Heathrow (LHR): 1.524 million passengers
- Cancun (CUN): 1.023 million passengers
- Toronto (YYZ): 1.020 million passengers
- Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG): 722,000 passengers
- Mexico City (MEX): 713,000 passengers
Impact of the Easter Calendar Shift
It’s important to note that Easter Sunday occurred on March 31 in 2024 but shifted to April 20 in 2025. This change likely influenced travel patterns, with some holiday traffic spilling into April in 2025 that occurred in March the previous year.
Looking Ahead
The continued rebound in U.S. international travel is an encouraging signal for the tourism industry, airlines, and global destinations alike. With U.S. citizen outbound travel surpassing pre-pandemic levels and inbound overseas visitation steadily rising, the trajectory remains positive. However, lagging recovery in some international inbound segments—particularly from Asia—shows that the global air travel market is still balancing.
For those interested in more granular or visualized travel data, the NTTO offers a dynamic interactive dashboard through its APIS/I-92 International Air Passenger Monitor tool. This allows users to explore trends by country, airport, and travel direction.
As summer approaches, all eyes will be on whether May and June 2025 will continue this upward trend—or bring new surprises to the skies.
