United States: air transport "not prepared" for the 2026 World Cup & LA 2028 (US Travel Association)

The American air transport system is "not prepared" and must "transform its infrastructure" to cope with the influx of people expected for the next major sporting events to be held in the United States (including the 2025 Ryder Cup and Club World Cup, the 2026 World Cup and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games), according to a report published on 19/02/2025 by the US Travel Association, a national non-profit organisation representing stakeholders in the tourism industry.

These four events alone could attract up to 40 million international visitors and generate an economic impact of $95bn (€90.75bn) for the country, which already generates 2.6% of its GDP from tourism and also hosts several annual sporting events (including three Formula 1 Grand Prix and the US Open Grand Slam).

"The next several years will bring unprecedented travel demand that our systems are not prepared to handle. Washington has a small window to fix major travel pain points and unlock a $100bn economic opportunity - but it will require a level of urgency that has been missing in recent years," said Geoff Freeman…