The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has smashed the record for the number of airline passengers it screened in a single day on Sunday with nearly 3 million passengers passing through TSA airport security checkpoints across the United States.
Preliminary figures show that the TSA screened 2.99 million on June 23 – beating the previous record by nearly 39,000, which was only set on May 24.
Sunday’s record, however, isn’t expected to be held for long, with the TSA anticipating more than 32 million passengers to be screened across the Independence Day holiday from June 27 to July 8.
“We expect this summer to be our busiest ever and summer travel usually peaks over the Independence Day holiday,” commented TSA Administrator David Pekoske after Sunday’s screening figures were released.
“The traveling public is on the move, which is a sign of a healthy economy. We are ready, along with our airline and airport partners, to handle this boost in passenger volumes.”
Pekoske appeared confident that the TSA would be able to keep up with passenger demand after managing to slash its staff attrition rate by half within the last year. Recruitment for new TSA airport security officers is also ongoing.
Sunday’s record-breaking figures are a far cry from when passenger numbers hit their nadir on April 14, 2020, when the TSA screened just 87,534 passengers as the pandemic dramatically changed ingrained travel habits.
It would be more than a year later, on July 2, 2021, that the number of passengers screened at TSA airport security checkpoints would surpass pre-pandemic levels.
Pekoske is urging the traveling public to come to the airport prepared to pass through security in order to reduce avoidable delays. And while some airports are deploying advanced security screening equipment that should make the process easier, passengers who don’t have TSA PreCheck are reminded that they still need to remove their shoes when passing through the metal detector.
Passengers are also reminded that firearms can’t be taken in hand luggage and must be packed in a locked, hard-sided case in checked luggage that is declared to the airline.
