(AURN News) — When it comes to air travel we continue to see major records being broken across the country. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is reporting record-breaking numbers of passengers screened at airports nationwide. This past Sunday saw nearly 3 million travelers pass through TSA checkpoints, marking the highest single-day total ever recorded. The surge in air travel shows no signs of slowing down, with even greater numbers expected during the upcoming Independence Day holiday over the next two weeks.
This week, TSA Administrator David Pekoske announced that from Thursday through Monday, July 8, more than 32 million passengers are projected to travel through U.S. airports. This represents a significant 5.4% increase compared to last year.
“We expect this summer to be our busiest ever and summer travel usually peaks over the Independence Day holiday,” Pekoske stated. He attributed the agency’s readiness to handle the influx partly to recent improvements in staffing. “Compared to last year, we have cut our attrition rates by almost half and increased our recruiting as a result of the TSA Compensation Plan that was funded in the budget passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden.”
Pekoske added, “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.”
Given the anticipated surge in travelers starting this week, you are strongly advised to arrive at the airport at least two hours before your scheduled departure times to allow for potential delays at security checkpoints.
Click play to listen to the AURN News report from Jamie Jackson: