TSA breaks record for screened passengers

It was predicted that this summer travel season would be one for the record books, and one was smashed during the Fourth of July weekend.

According to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) more than three million people passed through U.S. airport security on Sunday. That marked the end of the 2024 holiday weekend, one that was predicted to be huge for the travel industry.

The previous mark was back on June 23 when 2.99 million passengers were screened. Eight of the ten busiest days in the history of the TSA have come in 2024, as the industry continues to build itself back up after the COVID-19 global pandemic brought travel to a near halt.

The 2024 travel season has seen big business at several points throughout the year. Both Spring Break and Memorial Day weekend were predicted to be two of the biggest days of the year. Both lived up to that expectation as well. This comes at a time when ticket and hotel prices are slowly dropping compared to where they were in 2023. The overall trend for prices started to drop at the start of 2024 and continues to head downward as the year advances.

The summer season kicks off in June and lasts until August. With just about two more months remaining in 2024’s travel season, several domestic and international destinations are being flooded with travelers. Some of the “typical” places that pop out include destinations like Paris, France where the 2024 Summer Olympic Games are set to start near the end of July. But other international destinations like Cartagena, Colombia, Warsaw Poland, and several others are popping up as frequently searched destinations. Domestically, several of the favorites remain popular like Miami and Las Vegas, but other cities like Chicago and Seattle are also growing in interest.