TSA Screens Record-Breaking Number of Travelers Over Holidays

The Transportation Security Administration broke records over the holidays, screening more than 43.8 million passengers and crew members during the holiday time period (December 19 to January 5). This is a 4 percent increase from the holiday period of 2018.

Friday, December 27, saw the most action, with more than 2.6 million travelers passing through TSA security checkpoints nationwide. On an average day, TSA screens about 2.1 to 2.2 million travelers.

The holidays are a particularly stressful time for those in the travel industry. “TSA officers, as well as law enforcement and industry partners, worked long hours during the holiday period to ensure safe and secure holiday travel,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “Our checkpoints were fully staffed and many officers worked overtime to screen millions of passengers on their way to and from their holiday destinations.”

TSA made sure to remind passengers of the essentials when traveling during the holidays:

—Passengers should get to the airport early enough to allow time to check-in and get through the security screening process

—Passengers should pack smart; they can use TSA tools such as the MyTSA app or search “What can I bring?” on tsa.gov

—Passengers should obtain or renew TSA PreCheck membership

—Passengers should be aware of the upcoming deadline for REAL ID enforcement beginning October 1

As a result of the TSA’s diligence, 99.8 percent of all passengers nationwide waited less than 30 minutes in a checkpoint line, despite the large crowds. Of passengers who were in a TSA PreCheck lane, 99.1 percent waited less than 10 minutes in a security checkpoint line.