Memorial Day Air Travel Surpasses Pre-Pandemic Levels, Exceeding TSA Figures

Even with more Transportation Security Administration agents and air traffic controllers on duty to meet the holiday rush, the Memorial Day travel period was one of the busiest in recent memory, leaving travelers waiting in long lines at airports across the United States.

According to the TSA’s official website, 2,744,469 people were screened by security officers on Friday, May 26, the most since November 2019, with wait times topping one hour or more at several of the busiest facilities.

On Thursday, May 25, TSA officers screened 2,658,057 Americans, an increase from the 2,399,579 recorded in 2022 and the 2,485,770 recorded pre-pandemic. On Saturday, May 27, 2,206,575 people went through checkpoints.

As for the people heading home from vacation, 2,257,766 Americans passed through TSA checkpoints on Sunday, May 28, while 2,577,437 travelers made their way through U.S. airports on Monday, May 29.

Monday’s travel numbers also topped pre-pandemic totals, surpassing the 2,499,002 people screened in 2019.

Despite the long lines and packed airports, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that flight cancellation rates remained below one percent through Sunday, an impressive feat after flight cancellations and delays ruined the winter holiday travel period for many Americans.

The low cancelation rate was also aided by favorable weather conditions for most of the U.S.