The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened 2.45 million air passengers on Friday, the highest daily number since February 2020.
The number was however below the 2.73 million screened on the same day in 2019. The high traffic was despite weather and staffing issues resulting in travel disruptions. On Friday, U.S. airlines canceled 711 flights and delayed more than 6,000, according to FlightAware.
U.S. travelers are already facing a difficult summer as airlines expect record demand and as they rebuild staff levels after thousands of workers left the industry during the pandemic.
A TSA spokesperson advised passengers to be prepared, saying on Twitter Saturday: "Get to the airport early, it’s busy!"
The Friday checkpoint traffic was the highest since Feb. 11, 2020, when TSA screened nearly 2.51 million passengers.
BREAKING: @TSA officers screened 2,454,781 people at airport security checkpoints nationwide yesterday, Friday, June 24. It was the highest checkpoint volume since Feb. 11, 2020, when 2,507,588 people were screened. Get to the airport early, it’s busy!
— Lisa Farbstein, TSA Spokesperson (@TSA_Northeast) June 25, 2022