The Transportation Security Administration screened more than 2 million travelers on Friday, the most travelers it has screened in a single day since the start of the pandemic.
Friday also marked the second straight day TSA screened more than 2 million travelers as Americans take to the skies on Independence Day weekend.
Earlier this week, AAA predicted that more than 47 million Americans would be traveling for the holiday weekend, projecting that about 3 million of those travelers would fly.
The increase in travel comes as many airports are still operating at less than 100% staffing levels. Last month, American Airlines cut flights in July to keep up. Delta has also announced an initiative to accelerate hiring.
TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein encouraged travelers to arrive at airports prepared to speed up wait times.
"Come to the airport prepared for security screening without prohibited items in your carry-on bag and #MaskUp," she tweeted.
JUST IN: @TSA screened 2,196,411 people at airport checkpoints yesterday, Friday, July 2. It was the highest throughput since the start of the pandemic. Come to the airport prepared for security screening without prohibited items in your carry-on bag and #MaskUp.
— Lisa Farbstein, TSA Spokesperson (@TSA_Northeast) July 3, 2021
