96.1% percent of all passengers waited less than 20 minutes
The Transportation Security Administration experienced its busiest day ever on May 24, the Friday before Memorial Day, screening a total 2,792,525 passengers and crew members. The agency screened more than 1.5 million checked bags on that day as well.
Even though TSA screened a remarkably high volume of travelers nationwide, 96.1% percent of all passengers waited less than 20 minutes in a checkpoint line and 91.5% of TSA Pre✓® passengers waited less than 5 minutes.
On an average travel day, the agency screens approximately 2.2 million passengers and crew. TSA anticipates more than 4% traveler growth this summer and expects to break screening records throughout the summer travel period. Travelers can assist by arriving prepared for the security screening process, which helps to keep the security lines moving.
TSA’s top 10 list of busiest days of travelers screened
| Rank |
Date |
Passengers + Crew Screened |
Circumstances |
| 1 |
May 24, 2019 |
2,792,525 |
Friday before Memorial Day |
| 2 |
Nov. 25, 2018 |
2,730,081 |
Sunday after Thanksgiving |
| 3 |
Nov. 28, 2004 |
2,713,864 |
Sunday after Thanksgiving |
| 4 |
July 20, 2018 |
2,676,487 |
Summer Friday |
| 5 |
June 29, 2018 |
2,676,198 |
Friday before Fourth of July week |
| 6 |
May 23, 2019 |
2,673,566 |
Thursday before Memorial Day |
| 7 |
July 26, 2018 |
2,672,136 |
Summer Friday |
| 8 |
June 22, 2018 |
2,668,474 |
Summer Thursday |
| 9 |
July 8, 2018 |
2,658,707 |
Sunday after Fourth of July week |
| 10 |
Nov. 19, 2004 |
2,652,347 |
Friday before Thanksgiving |
TSA, like all DHS components, continues to support the Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to address the humanitarian and security crisis at the southwest border.
