Record Thanksgiving Travel Surge at US Airports. In an unprecedented surge of holiday travel, US airports are teetering on the brink of shattering previous records as a significant influx of travelers takes to the skies during the Thanksgiving holiday period.
As of Monday, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) revealed that it is rapidly approaching its projected total of 30 million passengers for the holiday season. In the course of the holiday period, the agency reported screening an impressive 24.7 million individuals, achieving a single-day record on Sunday with 2.9 million screenings.
With two days remaining in the holiday window, the TSA anticipates screening an additional 2.67 million passengers on Monday alone, representing more than half of the remaining number needed to hit the 30 million milestone. This surge in numbers is signaling what the agency foresees as a “busier than ever” holiday travel season.
The TSA now designates a 12-day period, starting the Friday before Thanksgiving and concluding the Tuesday after, as its peak window for heightened travel activity. David Pekoske, the Administrator of the TSA, informed CNN that travelers are adjusting their schedules, departing earlier, and extending the duration of their trips due to shifting travel patterns in the post-pandemic era. Consequently, Tuesday is expected to maintain a relatively high level of activity.
Despite the Wednesday before Thanksgiving being a traditionally busy travel day, with over 2.7 million people screened at US airports, it did not rank among the top 10 busiest travel days ever. This deviation is attributed to holiday travelers spreading their visits over a more extended period. Pekoske noted that this trend is indicative of a departure from concentrated travel on specific days.
Highlighting the extraordinary nature of this year’s travel patterns, the TSA’s statistics indicate that four out of its five busiest days ever occurred in 2023, encompassing Sunday and three peak summer travel days. The only exception from a previous year was the Sunday after Thanksgiving in 2019, which remains among the top five busiest travel days in TSA records.
As the holiday season unfolds, the aviation industry and the TSA brace for continued high passenger volumes, emphasizing the need for efficient and secure travel operations during this bustling period.
According to CNN, the surge in Thanksgiving travel in 2023 reached unprecedented levels. Wallace and Muntean, CNN 2013.
