The Transportation Security Administration said it screened more than 2.95 million air passengers on Friday, setting a new single-day record.
The department announced Saturday in a post on X, known as Twitter, that 2,951,163 people were tested at airport screening sites across the country on Friday, beating the previous record of 2,907,378 set the Sunday after Thanksgiving last year.
“Congratulations to anyone who flew yesterday — you had a record-breaking day!” TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said in a separate post.
Mike Stewart/AP
Ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, the TSA predicted Friday would be its busiest day for air travel, with about 3 million people passing through airport checkpoints.
The TSA screened just under 2.9 million people on Thursday, about 11,000 fewer than the previous record. The agency said five of its 10 busiest days to date had occurred since May 16.
Memorial Day weekend trip Breaking records on the road.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) has warned that road congestion this weekend could be unprecedented, and airports may be forced to close. Even more crowded More companies than in previous years Various economic factors The U.S. Department of Transportation, which partners with other groups to forecast travel conditions, said earlier this month that an estimated 43.8 million people across the U.S. could travel at least 50 miles between Thursday and Monday. That would amount to a 4% increase in overall trips compared to 2023, according to AAA.
“We haven't seen such high Memorial Day weekend travel numbers in nearly two decades,” Paula Twidale, AAA's senior vice president of travel, said in a statement. “We're projecting one million more travelers over this holiday weekend compared to 2019. Not only does this exceed pre-pandemic levels, it also signals a very busy upcoming summer travel season.”
Emily Mae Charcoal also contributed to this report.
