According to the latest report released by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the United States, during the Labor Day weekend (August 29 to September 1), the total number of passengers screened at airports across the country reached 10.4 million, an increase of approximately 3.3% compared to the same period last year, setting a new historical record. TSA anticipates breaking the historical record for annual passenger volume this year.
The report shows that on August 29 (Friday), TSA screened a total of 2,971,217 passengers, setting a record for the busiest screening day on the Friday before Labor Day and marking the 15th busiest single day in TSA’s nearly 24-year history. Eight of the top ten busiest travel days recorded by TSA occurred this year, indicating that this year is expected to break the historical record for annual air passenger volume.
Adam Stahl, Acting Deputy Administrator of TSA, stated, “With air travel numbers continuing to reach new highs, TSA is well-prepared to meet the growing demand by working closely with industry partners in ensuring a smooth travel experience.”
This summer, TSA introduced some new policies:
1. TSA ended the “shoes-off” policy, allowing passengers passing through TSA checkpoints at domestic airports to keep their shoes on to streamline the screening process.
2. TSA partnered with TSA PreCheck enrollment providers – CLEAR, IDEMIA, and Telos to launch the “Serve with Honor, Travel with Ease” program for military personnel. This program provides dedicated screening lanes at select airports, offers free PreCheck services to military personnel who have lost a loved one while serving, and gives discounts on PreCheck registration for military spouses.
3. In July, TSA also introduced the new “Families on the Fly” program, offering family-specific lanes at select airports to ease the stress of family travel. These benefits include TSA PreCheck discounts for family members and dedicated PreCheck lanes for active-duty military personnel traveling with spouses and children.
Stahl mentioned that the policy allowing passengers to keep their shoes on during screening has been “highly successful.” TSA will continue to enhance passenger flow efficiency and provide a smoother screening process.
TSA stated that they are considering relaxing the restrictions on carrying liquid volumes in carry-on luggage.
Currently, TSA follows the 3-1-1 rule for liquids, which limits liquid, gel, aerosol, cream, and paste carry-on items to containers of 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less, all of which must fit into a one-quart-sized bag, with each passenger allowed to carry only one such bag.
Stahl expressed, “We hope to announce some new measures in the coming months. We are working every day to optimize a seamless connection for each passenger and enhance the customer experience.” He emphasized, “We will never compromise passenger safety, but we will seriously consider feedback while seeking the best balance between security and convenience.”
“We are committed to speeding up passenger processing and lightening their burden, especially in areas with a high number of military passengers. These are the little things we can do to ease the burden of their travel to reunite with loved ones,” he said.
In conclusion, TSA expects the growth in the number of travelers in the United States to continue, and the agency will continually optimize the screening system to provide passengers with a more convenient travel experience.