People are eager to travel before the weekend of July 4th and airports in the United States are feeling this unrest.
Lisa Farbstein, a TSA spokeswoman, announced on Twitter on Friday that the agency had checked 2,147,090 people across the country at security checks at airports the day before. The number is remarkably high, especially when compared to the 764,761 travelers checked on the same day in 2020 that the US was working on the Coronavirus Pandemic under control and as many Americans shied away from travel.
Thursday’s figure also surpassed the record for travelers screened on the same day in 2019 by nearly 60,000, according to TSA Data.
“Ready for this? It exceeded the 2019 checkpoint volume for the same day, which was 2,088,760. So get to the airport early if you fly and #MaskUp,” Farbstein wrote in her tweet.
The TSA posted on Twitter ahead of the bank holiday weekend to ensure passengers were ready to travel in the days leading up to July 4th.
Last Sunday, the TSA in a. firmly statement, the agency has screened 2,167,380 people through airport security, the highest number of checkpoints in the public health sector since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis.
The agency said it expects that number will be exceeded over the holiday weekend and advised passengers to arrive at airports with plenty of time for ticket issuance, baggage screening and security screening.
“Many of you may be traveling for the 4th this weekend,” TSA spokeswoman Alexa Lopez said in a tweet. “Expect trips to look different than before. Many airports are exceeding the 2019 travel volume. Please be patient, wear a mask, arrive early and remember to avoid firearms at the checkpoint.
The record number of passengers is due to the fact that airlines continue to experience staff shortages. American Airlines announced at the end of June it would cancel hundreds of flights by mid-July, citing the ongoing labor shortage.
“Our focus this summer – and always – is on delivering for our customers, whatever the circumstances,” the airline said in a statement to MassLive. “We never want to disappoint and are of the opinion that these flight plan adjustments will help us to take good care of our customers and team members and minimize surprises at the airport.”
On Thursday, the TSA posted a weird picture of the “Lord of the Rings” character Golem on Twitter, telling passengers not to waste “precious time and resources” trying to travel with fireworks.
“Fireworks are not allowed in hand baggage or checked baggage. Leave them at home or buy them when you get to your destination, ”the TSA wrote in its tweet. “What do we have in our pockets?”
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