New record set for passengers at US airports for Memorial Day travel

ATLANTA, Georgia: The largest number of passengers ever screened at US airports was seen prior to the Memorial Day weekend.

According to the US Transportation Security Administration, over 2.9 million travelers were screened at U.S. airports on Thursday, May 23, becoming the largest number ever.

"Officers have set a new record for most travelers screened in a single day!" the TSA tweeted. "We recommend arriving early."

The day before, on May 23, the third busiest day ever at US airports was reported with just under 2.9 million travelers being screened.

The world's busiest airport in Atlanta, Georgia also set new records on Friday, when 111,000 passengers, airlines crew and airport employees were screened. Atlanta saw its second busiest day ever on Friday when 109,960 people were screened, noted the TSA.

According to the Airports Council International, the Atlanta airport handled 104.6 million passengers in 2023, making it the busiest airport in the world.

U.S. airlines have projected that they will carry a record 271 million travelers between June 1 and August 31 this summer. The previous record was 255 million set in 2023.

US travel officials predicted that 43.8 million people are expected to travel between Thursday and Monday this week. Nearly 40 million of these will be traveling in autos.