Why Air Travel Is So Hard In The U.S. | CNBC Marathon

CNBC Marathon explores if airlines are profitable, why airlines face so many delays and how new technologies can streamline airport security. Passenger airlines are a crucial industry in the global economy, but the sector is also extremely volatile. Running a passenger airline is an asset-intensive industry with narrow profit margins. Despite the risks, the industry has experienced some periods of consistent growth, which can lull investors into a false sense of security. Meanwhile, thousands of U.S. flights have been delayed or cancelled this year which can cost airlines tens of millions of dollars. CNBC went to the Federal Aviation Administrations Air Traffic Control System Command Center to get an inside look at how the FAA deals with increasingly severe weather situations. And remember a time when getting through airport security was quick and easy. But after the attacks on 9/11, the TSA, or Transportation Security Administration, was created and security screenings became much more thorough. With millions of people passing through TSA checkpoints everyday, this can create excruciating long lines, especially during holiday travel. In response, Delta, JetBlue, and American Airlines are just a few of the U.S. airlines starting to test facial recognition for boarding and TSA checkpoints. CNBC Marathon brings together the best of CNBC on YouTube. Chapters: 00:00 -- Introduction 00:39 -- Why the airline business is broken (Published November 2021) 15:21 -- An inside look at how the FAA deals with bad weather (Published June 2022) 30:47 -- Why airport security is so bad in the U.S. (Published November 2021)