Nov 20, 2021 - Economy & Business
TSA screens highest number of air travelers since start of pandemic
Transportation Security Administration workers screen passengers Nov. 8 at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
The Transportation Security Administration screened nearly 2.24 million airline passengers on Friday, marking the highest number of air travelers since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Why it matters: The milestone comes after experts anticipated significantly more people would travel this holiday season.
The big picture: TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein tweeted Saturday that Friday's screening numbers were the "highest checkpoint volume since passenger volume tanked in early 2020."
- TSA had anticipated the rise in screenings and announced earlier this week that it expected to screen about 20 million air passengers during the Thanksgiving travel period.
- Last Thanksgiving, TSA screened 1,176,091 people at checkpoints in the United States.
Go deeper: Holiday COVID alarm as cases rise 20%