Air travel has been steadily rising above pre-pandemic levels, with record numbers of people using U.S. airports over Memorial Day weekend, a sign of a busy summer travel season ahead.
The Transportation Security Administration said it screened more than 2.9 million travelers at airports nationwide on May 24, breaking the previous record set during the Thanksgiving holiday rush in November. May 23 was the third-busiest day on record, with just under 2.9 million travelers, according to the TSA.
“TSA officers set a new record for the most travelers screened in a single day!” the TSA announced on X (formerly Twitter).
Five of the Transportation Security Administration's 10 busiest travel days on record have occurred since the beginning of this month, highlighting that persistent inflation and extreme weather aren't stymieing people's vacation plans, according to a chart tweeted by the TSA.
Inflation has fallen to 3.4%, but the cost of living has taken months to fall from a post-pandemic high of 9.1% and remains high. The Federal Reserve has also held off on cutting interest rates amid concerns that inflation is not sufficiently under control, leaving borrowing costs high for most Americans.
The figures appear to be in line with a projection from the American Automobile Association, which earlier this month projected Memorial Day weekend travel numbers to hit their highest level in nearly 20 years.
The group estimates that 43.8 million people will travel more than 50 miles during the holiday season, up 4 percent from last year and close to the record of 44 million set in 2005.
Of those, more than 38 million people traveled by car, the highest figure for that holiday since AAA began tracking the data in 2000.
Using data from analyst INRIX, AAA highlighted the best and worst times to drive to avoid traffic jams: For May 27, the best time to travel by car is after 7 p.m.
“Travel times are expected to be up to 90% longer than normal,” said Bob Pichoux, transportation analyst at INRIX. “Travelers should stay up to date with transportation apps, 511 services and local news stations to avoid getting stuck in traffic any longer than necessary.”
