The number of travelers expected to pass through security checkpoints at the nation’s airports during the summer season is expected to surpass a total of 2.5 million passengers per day, according to recent estimates by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Additionally, a record was recently broken for the most passengers and crew screened in a single week with more than 17 million individuals passing through security checkpoints during the last week of June.
“Securing the travel of millions of passengers daily remains our top priority,” Acting TSA Administrator Huban A. Gowadia said. “TSA takes many security measures, seen and unseen, while working closely with industry partners such as airlines and airports to enhance the traveling experience and ensure every passenger arrives to their destination safely.”
According to the agency, the peak air travel period began on Memorial Day and extends through the month of August. On June 30, the agency experienced its third-busiest day in its history with 2,647,714 passengers and crew screened. In the first week of July, approximately 750,000 passengers flew out of just the three main airports servicing the Washington, D.C. area.
“TSA is tasked with a complex, critical security mission that can only be accomplished through close collaboration with stakeholders and partners,” Gowadia said. “We will not compromise our security mission of protecting air travelers as we face an evolving threat by a determined enemy.”
For 2017, the agency deployed 50 additional passenger canine teams and 2,000 additional TSA officers compared to the previous year.