The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported screening 2.95 million airline passengers on Friday, marking the highest number ever recorded in a single day. This milestone coincides with the Memorial Day weekend, which traditionally signals the start of the U.S. summer travel season.
Last week, a group representing major U.S. airlines forecasted a record-breaking summer travel season, with an expected 271 million passengers, up 6.3% from last year. The TSA noted that Friday’s passenger count surpassed the previous record of nearly 2.91 million passengers screened in November. Remarkably, five of the ten busiest travel days ever have occurred since May 16.
Airlines for America stated that U.S. carriers plan to operate more than 26,000 daily flights this summer, an increase of nearly 1,400 flights, or 5.6%, compared to 2023 when they transported 255 million passengers. The summer travel season is forecasted to run from June 1 to August 31.
American Airlines announced it will boost flights by 10% this summer and expects a 10% increase in passengers over the May 23-28 Memorial Day travel period, with nearly 3.9 million passengers on 36,000 flights.
United Airlines is forecasting it will handle 3 million travelers during the Memorial Day travel period, up nearly 10%, marking its highest number ever for this period.
Delta Air Lines expects a 5% increase in Memorial Day weekend customers, totaling nearly 3 million passengers between May 23-27.
This forecast comes amid ongoing efforts by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to address a persistent shortage of air traffic controllers. Some airlines voluntarily reduced New York flights last summer to alleviate congestion issues and have raised new concerns about the shortage of controllers.
To mitigate these challenges, the FAA extended reductions to minimum flight requirements at New York City-area airports through October due to staffing shortages. Major airlines have requested that these reductions be extended through October 2025.
