(NewsNation) — The number of travelers moving through United States airports hit a new record on Sunday, but the new mark might not even last through the weekend.
Transportation Security Administration officials say the agency screened 2,996,193 people on Sunday, the most in a single day. This broke a record set just a month earlier on the Friday before Memorial Day.
With Independence Day coming up, experts believe a new record will be set this weekend.
“We expect this summer to be our busiest ever, and summer travel usually peaks over the Independence Day holiday,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said.
So far, 10 of the busiest days in TSA history have already happened in 2024. Passengers NewsNation spoke to are feeling the effects.
“This is ridiculous. I’ve never been at an airport that had this long of a wait,” one woman said, adding that the “wait to get to the gate is longer than my flight is going to be.”
Another traveler suggested people plan early.
“Make sure for stress-free travel that you’ve got everything together — your boarding pass, all your check-in stuff,” he said.
Why are so many people traveling?
Airlines for America, a trade group representing the largest U.S. carriers, predicts air travel this summer will rise 6.3% over last year.
AAA projects 70.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Independence Day holiday travel period, a 5% increase from 2023 and 8% more than 2019. Of those, 5.74 million are expected to fly, according to AAA, up 7% from last year.
Travel experts say there’s a real appetite for travel this year. Cheaper ticket prices, AAA says, are contributing to this. Booking data compiled by the organization shows domestic airfare is 2% cheaper this Independence Day week than last year, with the average price of a domestic roundtrip ticket at $800.
“With summer vacations in full swing and the flexibility of remote work, more Americans are taking extended trips around Independence Day,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel.
Airlines prepping for record travel
Companies are gearing up for the extra travel demand this summer.
American Airlines says it’s increasing departures for summer 2024 by 10% and planning for nearly 690,000 flights. Meanwhile, United Airlines touts “dozens of features” on its mobile app, such as ones that help travelers more easily get through security, check their bags and navigate their gates. These digital tools can help travelers save up to 30 minutes on average at the airport, United said in a news release.
Delta Airlines also updated its app, introducing Fly Delta 6.0, which includes an “all-new” Help Center view, access to boarding information and connectivity to a virtual assistant. Travelers departing from Atlanta, Georgia; Detroit, Michigan; Los Angeles, California; or LaGuardia and New York-JFK airports will also be able to use Delta Digital ID within their SkyMiles profile to “expedite” the security process. A new numbered boarding system being rolled out aims to provide more clarity as well, per a Delta press release.
On Southwest Airlines‘ app, passengers can now check bags before arriving at the airport, track their bags digitally and receive real-time updates on their incoming aircraft. In addition, Southwest extended its international flight schedule through Aug. 4.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.