With more than 21.6 million passengers passing through Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints from Nov. 17 to Nov. 26, the agency recorded one of its busiest holiday weeks in its 16-year history.
TSA agents screened more 2.6 million travelers on Sunday alone, which marked the busiest travel day of the week and the fifth busiest travel day on record. In addition to screening 21.6 million passengers over the course of the week, TSA agents screened more than 13.6 million bags.
Despite the high volume of travelers, TSA reported that 98.1 percent of travelers spent less than 20 minutes in lines at checkpoints throughout the week. Additionally, 99.2 percent of pre-check customers waited less than 10 minutes,
“Enhanced security screening measures and the use of TSA canine teams were in place during the busy Thanksgiving travel period to ensure security of air travel,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said. “I am very proud of our transportation security officers for their work and attention to detail during a very hectic time, ensuring safe travel for all passengers.”
TSA has recorded half of its busiest days on record in the latter half of 2017. The busiest day on record was Nov. 28, 2004, when 2.7 million travelers passed through TSA checkpoints.