The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has set a new record, screening over 2.95 million airline passengers on Friday. This figure surpasses the previous single-day record of 2,907,378, achieved on the Sunday following Thanksgiving last year.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the TSA announced on Saturday that 2,951,163 individuals were screened at airport checkpoints nationwide on Friday. Lisa Farbstein, a spokesperson for the TSA, shared in a separate post, “If you flew yesterday, congratulations, you were part of a record-setting day!”
Anticipating the Memorial Day weekend rush, the TSA had predicted Friday to be the busiest day for air travel, with nearly 3 million people expected to pass through airport checkpoints. They were close in their estimates, as the TSA screened just under 2.9 million people on Thursday, missing the previous record by about 11,000. Notably, five of the ten busiest travel days on record have occurred since May 16, according to the agency.
The roads are also bracing for record-breaking congestion this Memorial Day weekend. The American Automobile Association (AAA) warned of potentially unprecedented traffic, with airports experiencing higher-than-usual crowds. Earlier this month, AAA projected that an estimated 43.8 million people across the United States would travel at least 50 miles from Thursday to Monday, marking a 4% increase compared to 2023.
Paula Twidale, the senior vice president of AAA’s travel division, stated, “We haven’t seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in almost 20 years. We’re projecting an additional one million travelers this holiday weekend compared to 2019, which not only means we’re exceeding pre-pandemic levels but also signals a very busy summer travel season ahead.”
In essence, if you found yourself stuck in traffic or navigating through crowded airports this weekend, consider yourself part of a historic moment in travel—though perhaps not the kind of history you’d choose to repeat.