TSA Records Highest Passenger Screenings Since Last March
Travel demand is continually increasing in recent weeks. After a sharp drop after New Years, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has counted over 1 million daily passengers several times. The agency said that Friday it screened more than 1.3 million passengers at airport security checkpoints across the nation.
TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said in a statement that the 1,357,111 people screened at airport security checkpoints, represented the highest number in almost a year. That figure is 78% of the number of people that traveled on the same day last year, and 54% or the 2019 numbers. It is three times higher than the lowest point during the pandemic back in April 2020.
The spike in air travel this month comes as COVID-19 vaccines are on the rise and several states have rolled back on restrictions that were put in place during the pandemic.
The TSA has counted more than 1 million passengers for the last four days. On Thursday is was 1,284,271, Friday 1,357,111, Saturday 1,223,057 and on Sunday 1,344,128 travelers passed through checkpoints nationwide.
The agency is expecting air travel to continue to grow, and is hiring an additional 6,000 agents before summer. Airlines are also gearing up for more passengers, adding new routes to sunny destinations, as leisure travel is more likely to see a quick rebound.
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