WASHINGTON — Memorial Day weekend kicks off the summer travel season for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and they are preparing for a record number of passengers.
TSA says Friday, May 24 is forecasted to be the busiest travel day with an anticipated nearly three million passengers going through security checkpoints. Over a week period, from May 23 to May 29, they expect to screen more than 18 million passengers at airports nationwide. And this is just the first weekend of the upcoming summer travel season.
The current record for TSA is about 2.9 million, but they are expecting 3 or 3.1 million travelers, most likely during the busiest days during the core of the summer in July and the early part of August.
Leaders at TSA say seven of their 10 busiest days on record have happened in the last 12 months and two of those were just last week.
So far this year, TSA says passenger travel is up 8% compared to the same time last year.
“In close coordination with airport, airline and travel partners, we are more than ready to handle this summer’s increased travel volumes,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said. “We are also continuing to deploy state-of-the-art checkpoint technology that increases security effectiveness, efficiency and enhances the passenger experience and our retention and recruitment numbers are the highest they’ve ever been.”
Watch Next: TSA expects busiest travel season ever
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