TSA sets new record for most passengers screened in a single day
Millions set to travel for Memorial Day weekend
AAA predicts this will be the busiest start-of-summer weekend in nearly two decades with 43.8 million people expected to go at least 50 miles from home between Thursday and Monday. LiveNOW from FOX's Mike Pache spoke with FOX's Danamarie McNicholl as travelers hit the road.
The Transportation Security Administration screened more passengers at U.S. airports in a single day Friday than it ever has before, the agency said.
According to a post on X, formerly Twitter, more than 2.95 million passengers went through airport security Friday, surpassing the agency’s previous record set in 2023 on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
"We recommend arriving early," TSA posted on X.
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TSA had its third busiest day on record Thursday, with just under 2.9 million passengers screened.
Travelers make their way through Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on May 24, 2024 in Arlington, VA. AAA projects travelers going 50 miles or more this Memorial Day holiday will be almost 44 million people, a number not seen since 2005. (Phot
In Atlanta, the world's busiest airport had its busiest day ever. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport broke a traffic record on Thursday when 111,000 passengers, airlines crew and airport employees were screened at security checkpoints. The second busiest day followed on Friday when 109,960 people were screened, according to the TSA.
U.S. airlines expect to carry a record number of passengers this summer. Their trade group estimates that 271 million travelers will fly between June 1 and August 31, breaking the record of 255 million set last summer.
Nearly 44 million travelers are expected to travel over Memorial Day weekend, a 4% increase over last year, according to AAA.
AAA said the estimated number includes those heading at least 50 miles or more from home between May 23 and May 27, 2024. The 2024 estimation comes close to matching 2005’s record of 44 million Memorial Day travelers, according to the motor club association.
What is Memorial Day?
Memorial Day is Monday, May 27, 2024, a day to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country.
Though the holiday was established through the Uniforms Holiday Bill in 1968, its origins date as far back as the Civil War. In the 1860s, American civilians began to visit and decorate the gravesites of Union and Confederate soldiers. The springtime act of remembrance was eventually coined Decoration Day.
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In 1868, the Grand Army of the Republic proclaimed Decoration Day to be a national holiday that should be observed on May 30, which fell in line with the blooming of most flowers. Congress officially recognized Decoration Day as a federal holiday in 1938.
The holiday got a name change in 1966 when President Lyndon B. Johnson proclaimed the city of Waterloo, N.Y. as the birthplace of Memorial Day. Five years later, the holiday moved to the last Monday in May through the Uniforms Holiday Bill.
The Associated Press, FOX’s Chris Williams and FOX’s Kelly Hayes contributed to this report.