TSA screenings surpass 2019 levels as airlines, airports scramble to staff
The Transportation Security Administration said that airport screenings have climbed above 2019 levels for the first time in the pandemic, signaling strong travel demand during Fourth of July weekend.
The TSA screened nearly 2.15 million people on Thursday, close to 3% more than the 2.01 million people who passed through security checkpoints at U.S. airports on July 1, 2019.
The trend is unlikely to hold. July 1, 2019 was a Monday and a low point for the week, when screenings increased by more than 706,000 people to peak on July 5.
Still, the milestone shows the surge in air travel demand since a broad rollout of vaccines in the U.S. this spring and a relaxation of pandemic-related closures or restrictions. The increase is mainly due to domestic U.S. leisure travel, with most business-related and long-haul international travel still on hold.
Airlines, meanwhile, are contending with a host of thunderstorms this week around the U.S. that led to delays in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, home to Southwest Airlines and American Airlines hubs.
The Transportation Security Administration said Friday that airport screenings have climbed above 2019 levels for the first time in the pandemic, signaling strong travel demand during Fourth of July weekend.
The TSA screened nearly 2.15 million people on Thursday, close to 3% more than the 2.01 million people who passed through security checkpoints at U.S. airports on July 1, 2019.
The trend is unlikely to hold. July 1, 2019 was a Monday and a low point for the week, when screenings increased by more than 706,000 people to peak on July 5.
Still, the milestone shows the surge in air travel demand since a broad rollout of vaccines in the U.S. this spring and a relaxation of pandemic-related closures or restrictions. The increase is mainly due to domestic U.S. leisure travel, with most business-related and long-haul international travel still on hold.
Airlines, meanwhile, are contending with a host of thunderstorms this week around the U.S. that led to delays in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, home to Southwest Airlines and American Airlines hubs.
By Leslie Josephs www.cnbc.com