TSA says air travel volumes this summer are the highest the agency has seen in its history. The agency expects passenger volumes to be 8.5% higher than last year during this time, and has already screened 239.8 million people since Memorial Day weekend, which is an average of 2.7 million per day.

The top 10 busiest travel days in the agency’s history have all occurred this year since May 2024. The agency reached a new milestone on July 7, when Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) screened more than 3 million people in a single day.

“People are travelling more than ever this summer and TSA along with our airline and airport partners stand ready to close the busiest summer travel period on record during this upcoming Labour Day weekend,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske.

With new checkpoint technology that improves security effectiveness and efficiency, TSA says it is staffed to meet its wait time standards, which are 10 minutes and under in TSA PreCheck lanes and 30 minutes and under in standard screening lanes.

Nevertheless, passengers are advised to arrive early in the face of the larger volume of traffic.

Further, TSA recommends airline passengers travel enrol in the TSA PreCheck Trusted Traveller Program, where members do not need to remove shoes, belts, 3-1-1 liquids, laptops, food items, and light jackets at the checkpoint.

And existing TSA PreCheck members are reminded to make sure their Known Traveller Number (KTN) is in their airline reservation so it appears on their boarding pass.