A Transportation Security Administration officer tests a passenger’s hands for explosives residue in a security line at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va. (2010). On Monday, the TSA said it screened a record number of passengers on the previous Sunday. File Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg/UPI | License Photo
July 8 (UPI) — More than 3 million people were screened by the Transportation Security Administration for flights at airports on Sunday, a new record clearing passengers for air travel in the United States, the TSA said on Monday. Fueled by travelers returning home after the long July 4th weekend, TSA agents screened 3,013,413 people on Sunday, topping the three-million mark for the first time and beating the old record of 2.99 million screened set on June 23. Advertisement
The number soared passed the 2,644,639 passengers on the TSA screen during the time in 2023. On July 3, the day before the holiday, TSA checked in 2,786,125, beating the 2023 total of 2,492,923.
“TSA officers have set a new record for most travelers screened in a single day,” a TSA message on X said. “Traveling soon? Be sure to arrive early.”
The TSA record comes after AAA predicted huge travel numbers for the Independence Day long weekend, with AAA projecting last week that some 70.9 million would hit the road. That represents a 5% increase from 2023 and 8% more than pre-COVID-19 pandemic travel.