Written by David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Transportation Security Administration said it screened 2.95 million air passengers on Friday, the highest number ever in a single day.
Record travel coincides with Memorial Day weekend which marks the start of the summer travel season in the United States. Last week, a group representing major U.S. airlines forecast record summer travel, with airlines expected to carry 271 million passengers, up 6.3% from a year ago.
Friday's travel broke a record set in November, which saw nearly 2.91 million air passengers screened, the TSA said. Five of the 10 busiest travel days on record have been since May 16, the agency said.
American Airlines said that American airlines plan to operate more than 26,000 daily flights this summer, an increase of nearly 1,400 flights compared to 2023, or 5.6%, when they carried 255 million passengers. Summer travel season forecast from June 1 to August 31.
American Airlines (NASDAQ:) said it will boost flights by 10% this summer and expects a 10% increase in passengers during the Memorial Day travel period from May 23 to May 28 — nearly 3.9 million passengers on 36,000 flights.
United Airlines expects it will handle 3 million passengers during the Memorial Day travel period, an increase of nearly 10% and the highest number ever during this period.
Delta Air Lines (NYSE:) said it expects a 5% jump in Memorial Day weekend customers to nearly 3 million customers from May 23-27.
The forecast comes as the Federal Aviation Administration struggles to address an ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers. Some airlines voluntarily reduced flights to New York last summer to address crowding issues and raised new concerns about the lack of monitors.
Airlines could lose their take-off and landing space at crowded airports if they do not use them adequately.
The Federal Aviation Administration extended cuts to minimum flight requirements at New York City-area airports through October due to staffing issues, and major airlines last month asked to extend those cuts through October 2025.
