The United States has set a new record for the number of air travelers screened at airports in a single day.
The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened 2.99 million airline passengers on Sunday, beating the previous record set in May, the agency said on Monday.
The TSA said it expects traffic to surpass the 3 million mark on Friday, when many Americans begin traveling ahead of Independence Day, July 4.
The TSA said it expects to screen more than 32 million people Thursday through Monday, an increase of more than 5% from the same period last year.
“We expect this summer to be our busiest summer ever and that summer travel typically peaks around the Independence Day holiday,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement.
“Compared to last year, we have reduced our attrition rates by nearly half and increased our hiring as a result of the TSA Compensation Plan, funded in the budget passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden.
“The traveling public is on the move, which is a sign of a healthy economy. We are ready, together with our airlines and our airport partners, to manage this increase in passenger volume.”
The TSA has recorded seven of the ten busiest days in its history this year as travel continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
