David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said it screened 2.95 million airline passengers on Friday, its highest single-day total on record.
The record-breaking trip coincides with Memorial Day weekend, which marks the start of the summer travel season in the United States. Last week, a group representing the largest U.S. airlines forecast a record summer of travel, with airlines expected to carry 271 million passengers, up 6.3% from last year.
The TSA said Friday’s trip broke a record set in November, when nearly 2.91 million air passengers were screened. Five of the 10 busiest days in travel history have occurred since May 16, according to the agency.
Airlines for America said U.S. carriers expect to operate more than 26,000 daily flights this summer, up nearly 1,400 from 2023, or 5.6%, when they carried 255 million passengers. The forecast for the summer tourist season is calculated for the period from June 1 to August 31.
American Airlines (NASDAQ:) said it will increase flights by 10% this summer and expects a 10% increase in passengers during the May 23-28 travel period – nearly 3.9 million passengers on 36,000 flights.
United Airlines forecasts it will serve 3 million travelers during the Memorial Day travel period, an increase of nearly 10% and its highest number ever for that period.
Delta Air Lines (NYSE:) said it expects a 5% jump in customer numbers over the Memorial Day weekend to nearly 3 million customers between May 23 and May 27.
The forecast comes as the Federal Aviation Administration grapples with a persistent shortage of air traffic controllers. Last summer, some airlines voluntarily cut flights in New York to address congestion and raised new concerns about a shortage of dispatchers.
Airlines may lose their takeoff and landing slots at congested airports if they don’t use them enough.
The FAA extended cuts to those minimum flight requirements at New York City airports through October due to staffing issues, and major airlines last month asked to extend those cuts through October 2025.