The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the United States announced that on November 30th (Sunday), a total of 3.13 million airline passengers were screened at airports across the country, setting a new single-day record, surpassing the previous record of 3.09 million passengers set on June 22nd earlier this year.
This record-breaking number of passengers came during the peak Thanksgiving travel season, despite severe weather conditions such as winter storms and low visibility in the central and western regions. Travelers crowded major airports across the United States, setting the busiest single-day travel record since the pandemic.
According to TSA statistics, there have been 8 days in 2025 where the daily screening volume exceeded 3 million passengers. Prior to 2024, the TSA had only surpassed the 3 million mark twice in a single day.
With the increasing volume of air travel in recent years, the U.S. government has expanded the TSA workforce, which now stands at nearly 60,000 employees. In 2024, TSA screened a total of 9.04 billion passengers, achieving a new annual record, representing a 5% increase from 2023.
The Airlines for America trade association estimated that during the 11-day Thanksgiving travel period from November 20th to December 1st, U.S. airlines collectively transported approximately 31 million passengers.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) predicted that during the 9-day period from November 24th to December 2nd, the U.S. airspace would handle over 360,000 flight operations, the highest in 15 years.
However, the busy holiday flights also faced unexpected challenges. Recently, it was discovered that the Airbus A320 series aircraft has a software vulnerability related to solar flares, prompting global regulatory authorities to urgently require software upgrades for all affected aircraft models.
Several U.S. airlines have undertaken emergency modifications in response to this issue. JetBlue Airways announced that it had to cancel around 20 flights on Monday due to ongoing updates.
Additionally, blizzards wreaked havoc in the central and western regions and the Great Lakes area, bringing heavy snow, strong winds, and hazardous travel conditions. Iowa saw a daily snowfall of up to 14 inches, with some areas in Illinois and Missouri receiving over 8 inches of snow.
The blizzards led to a total of 7,563 flight delays or cancellations on Saturday (November 29th).
As part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s “Fly Healthy” initiative, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy appeared in a newly released promotional video on Sunday alongside a United Airlines flight attendant, encouraging travelers to take various measures to reduce stress.
In the video, Duffy stated, “Many people don’t feel stressed when flying, and I’m one of them. But if you’re traveling with someone who’s feeling stressed, you can’t help but feel anxious too. So, it’s really important to provide tools and strategies to relieve anxiety.”
Furthermore, Duffy has publicly advocated for passengers to dress appropriately when flying and has urged everyone to recreate the “Golden Age of travel” in air travel by bringing back the atmosphere of elegance and mutual respect.
With the Christmas and New Year holidays approaching at the end of the year, the U.S. aviation industry is expecting another wave of high travel volume. TSA has advised passengers to arrive early at the airport, check their flight status through airline apps or websites to avoid delays and inconvenience.