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The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) marked a historic day on Sunday, screening an unprecedented 3.13 million passengers across U.S. airports. This figure sets a new record for the agency.
“Yesterday, TSA screened approximately 3,133,924 individuals, the highest number ever in TSA’s history, bringing our Top 10 busiest days all above 3M,” the TSA announced on Monday via X.
This latest figure eclipses the previous record of more than 3.09 million passengers, a milestone reached on June 22, according to the agency’s statistics.
Notably, the top 10 busiest days in TSA’s history have all occurred within the past two years. Among these, the third busiest day was the Sunday following Thanksgiving in 2024.
This record-breaking event follows closely on the heels of a significant government shutdown, which disrupted airport operations nationwide due to staffing shortages.
The 43-day shutdown forced the Federal Aviation Administration to impose sweeping flight cuts in 40 major US cities, as TSA employees and air traffic controllers missed multiple paychecks.
The restrictions were officially lifted on Nov. 17 after a review of safety trends and a decline in “staffing-trigger events” in air traffic control facilities following the shutdown.
TSA officers who went “above and beyond” while working without pay would get $10,000 bonuses, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced earlier this month.
The decision came just ahead of the busy holiday travel season.