International air travel to and from the United States continued its steady, yet uneven recovery in February 2026, with overall passenger volumes slightly surpassing pre-pandemic benchmarks even as inbound visitation remains below 2019 levels.
According to newly released data from the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO), total U.S.–international air passenger enplanements reached 18.3 million in February 2026, marking a modest 0.2 percent increase compared to February 2025. Notably, overall passenger traffic climbed to 106.1 percent of February 2019 levels, signaling that outbound demand—particularly among U.S. travelers—continues to drive growth in the global travel market.
Inbound Travel Shows Mixed Signals
International arrivals to the United States presented a more nuanced picture, even before the recent difficulties surrounding TSA funding and staffing. Non-U.S. citizen air passenger arrivals totaled 4 million in February 2026, representing a 3 percent decline year over year and reaching 85.6 percent of pre-pandemic February 2019 volume.
However, there were signs of gradual improvement in overseas visitation. Total overseas visitor arrivals reached 2.2 million in February 2026, a 0.8 percent increase compared to February 2025. This figure also showed month-to-month progress, rising to 85.2 percent of February 2019 levels, up from 83.5 percent in January 2026. Despite that upward trend, total overseas visitation for the year to date remains 1.9 percent below the same period in 2025, underscoring the continued challenges in fully restoring inbound international travel.
Outbound Travel Continues to Surge
In contrast, outbound travel by U.S. citizens remains a standout performer. U.S. citizen air passenger departures totaled 5 million in February 2026, a 1.5 percent increase from February 2025 and a striking 27.3 percent above February 2019 levels. The data reinforces a trend seen across much of the past year: Americans are traveling abroad at historically high rates, even as inbound recovery progresses more slowly.
Top Destinations and Regional Trends
Mexico remained the leading international travel partner for the United States in February, with 3.2 million passengers traveling between the two countries, followed by Canada with 2.2 million passengers. Other top markets included the United Kingdom, the Dominican Republic and Japan, with Japan posting one of the strongest year-over-year gains at 9.6 percent growth.
Regionally, travel patterns varied:
- South and Central America and the Caribbean led growth, totaling 5.3 million passengers, up 2.5 percent year over year and 17.5 percent above 2019 levels.
- Europe recorded 3.7 million passengers, a slight 0.7 percent increase from February 2025, though still 2.5 percent below pre-pandemic volume.
- Asia showed continued recovery momentum with 2.4 million passengers, up 6.2 percent year over year, but remaining 12.3 percent below February 2019 levels.
Key Gateways Remain Dominant
Major U.S. gateway airports continued to handle the bulk of international traffic. The busiest international ports in February were New York (JFK) with 2.1 million passengers, followed closely by Miami (MIA) with 2 million. Los Angeles, San Francisco and Atlanta rounded out the top five.
On the international side, London Heathrow and Cancun International Airport each handled approximately 1 million passengers traveling to or from the United States, with Toronto, Mexico City and Seoul’s Incheon International Airport also ranking among the busiest foreign gateways.
A Recovery Still in Motion
Taken together, February’s data paints a picture of a travel industry that has largely regained its footing in terms of overall passenger volume, but is still working toward a full recovery in inbound international visitation. Strong outbound demand—particularly among U.S. travelers—continues to fuel global connectivity, while incremental gains in overseas arrivals suggest the path forward remains steady, if gradual.
