TSA says it screened a record of nearly 3 million people Sunday, and bigger crowds are on the way

Associated Press The Associated Press

FILE - Passengers wait in a security line at Denver International Airport on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. The TSA expects to break the 3 million mark on Friday, as many Americans get an early start on their July 4 travel plans. It's just the start of what promises to be a busy summer. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Thomas Peipert]

The number of air travelers moving through U.S. airports hit a record Sunday, and the new mark might not last through next weekend.

The Transportation Security Administration said it screened nearly 3 million people at airports Sunday, breaking a record set on May 24, the Friday before Memorial Day.

TSA forecasts that it will break the 3-million barrier on Friday, when many people will be getting an early start on their July 4 holiday travel plans.

“We expect this summer to be our busiest ever and summer travel usually peaks over the Independence Day holiday,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said.

Sunday’s TSA count was 2,996,193, or about 45,000 more than the 2,951,163 who flowed through checkpoints on May 24. Seven of the 10 busiest days in TSA history have occurred this year, as travel continues to roar back from the coronavirus pandemic.

TSA expects to screen more than 32 million people between Thursday and July 8, the Monday after the holiday, for a daily average of 2.67 million. That would be a 5.4% increase over the July 4 period last year.

Airlines for America, a trade group representing the largest U.S. carriers, predicts that air travel this summer will rise 6.3% over last year.