Travel News

TSA Records Highest-Ever Number Of Passenger Screenings During Turbulent Travel Week

CHICAGO, IL - MAY 16: Passengers at O'Hare International Airport wait in line to be screened at a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint on May 16, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. Waiting times at the checkpoints today have been reported to be as long 2 hours. The long lines have been blamed for flight delays and a large number of passengers missing flights completely. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recorded a record-breaking milestone as it screened the highest number of passengers ever recorded in a single day.

On Friday, June 30, the TSA processed a staggering 2,884,683 travelers, setting a new record for checkpoint throughput volume, as stated by the agency’s spokesperson Lisa Farbstein via Twitter.

“This is exactly why we recommend travelers get to the airport early and why it’s vital to ensure you do not have any prohibited items with you,” Farbstein added.

Throughout the July 4th holiday season from Friday to Tuesday, over 12 million individuals traveled via airports in the U.S. While the TSA had anticipated June 30 to be the busiest, these record-breaking numbers came amidst a wave of flight cancellations and delays caused by extreme weather and air traffic control.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby described it as “one of the most operationally challenging weeks I’ve experienced in my entire career” while facing the cancellation chaos and overwhelming passengers.

Even after the holiday weekend, flight disruption persisted across the country. FlightAware, a flight tracking service, reported over 7,200 delays and close to 500 cancellations on Wednesday.

River Zhang