As the summer comes to a close, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) revealed it broke several records for the number of people screened at airports across the United States.
During the 2019 summer travel season that ran from the Wednesday before Memorial Day until the Tuesday after Labor Day, TSA employees screened 262 million passengers and crew members, an almost 3.4 percent increase over last year during the same period.
MORE Airlines & Airports
In addition, security officers screened nearly 164 million pieces of checked baggage.
TSA officials also announced the agency experienced nine of the top 10 busiest weeks in its history during the summer season, which was handled by more than 2,000 additional officers brought in to meet operational demands.
“The anniversary of the September 11 attacks is a regular reminder of the importance of TSA’s mission to protect the traveling public,” TSA Acting Deputy Administrator Patricia Cogswell said in a statement. “Despite the requirements of screening these record numbers of travelers and their belongings, our people remain dedicated to safety and security above all else.”
Despite the record-breaking numbers across the country, TSA said 99.7 percent of passengers waited less than 30 minutes in standard lanes and 98.9 percent of TSA PreCheck lane passengers waited less than 10 minutes.
TSA officials have now shifted their focus to the upcoming Thanksgiving and winter holiday travel periods, and the agency is providing some advice for airline passengers, including checking bags for prohibited items and packing carry-on luggage so they can be easily screened.
Nobody should be surprised though, as airlines/tsa-predicts-busiest-summer-travel-period-in-history.html” target=”_self” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>TSA did predict it would be their busiest summer in history.
A Delta Air Lines passenger was removed from his flight after refusing to swap seats…
Allegiant is expanding its fleet with six additional Boeing 737 MAX jets scheduled for delivery…
Director Alison Reid joins The Jet Set to discuss The Art of Adventure, sharing the…
Southwest Airlines is changing the terms of its program. Starting January 1, 2027, passengers will…
La revista Southern Living invita al público a descubrir su Idea House 2026, una espectacular…