Memorial Day weekend: TSA, airports prep for busiest summer travel season ever
LOS ANGELES - We're just days away from the official start of summer as Memorial Day weekend quickly approaches.
According to AAA, the number of people traveling for the long holiday weekend is expected to hit record highs.
Airports across the country are preparing for what is projected to be the busiest summer travel season on record.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has already seen record numbers ahead of the Memorial Day holiday travel period which begins Thursday.
Friday, May 17, and Sunday, May 19, are now among the top five busiest travel days in American history, according to TSA officials.
Friday saw 2,855,523 passengers screened by TSA agents, while 2,843,354 passengers passed through checkpoints on Sunday.
The summer travel season begins Memorial Day Weekend and runs through Labor Day.
TSA officials forecast Friday, May 24, to be the busiest travel day of the long Memorial Day weekend, anticipating nearly three million passengers.
"In close coordination with airports, airline and travel partners, we are more than ready to handle this summer’s increased travel volumes," said TSA Administrator David Pekoske in a statement. "We are also continuing to deploy state-of-the-art checkpoint technology that increases security effectiveness, efficiency and enhances the passenger experience and our retention and recruitment numbers are the highest they’ve ever been."
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From May 23 to May 29, the agency expects to screen more than 18 million passengers and crew, representing a checkpoint volume increase of approximately 6.4% compared to the same period in 2023.
AAA is projecting approximately 43.8 million to travel at least 50 miles from their home this coming Memorial Day weekend, the second-most since 2005 when a record 44 million people traveled for the holiday.
But while airports such as LAX are expected to be busy, majority of people are expected to travel via road trips.
AAA is projecting around 38.4 million people to hit the road for the weekend, the most since they started tracking holiday travel in 2000 and a 4% increase from last year.
Drivers leaving Thursday or Friday are also being advised to hit the road early as travel times are expected to increase by 90% thanks to a mix of local commuters and other travelers.
