ATLANTA (AP) — The Transportation Security Administration said Saturday that the number of air travelers screened at U.S. airports broke records ahead of the Memorial Day weekend.
More than 2.9 million travelers were screened at U.S. airports on Friday, surpassing the previous record set the Sunday after Thanksgiving last year, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
“Officers set a record for most travelers screened in a single day!,” TSA tweeted. “We encourage you to arrive early.”
Nearly 2.9 million travelers were screened at U.S. airports on Thursday, making it the third-busiest day on record.
In Atlanta, the world's busiest airport saw its busiest day ever. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport broke a traffic record on Thursday, with 111,000 passengers, airline crew and airport employees screened through security. The second-busiest day was Friday, when 109,960 people were screened, according to the TSA.
According to the Airports Council International, Atlanta airport handled 104.6 million passengers last year, making it the world's busiest.
U.S. airlines expect to carry record numbers of passengers this summer. Industry groups predict that 271 million travelers will fly between June 1 and Aug. 31, beating the 255 million recorded last summer.
AAA predicts the weekend will be the busiest summer holiday in 20 years, with 43.8 million people expected to travel at least 50 miles from home between Thursday and Monday, including 38 million by car.
The annual display of wanderlust that marks the start of the summer travel season comes at a time when Americans say they are concerned in polls about the economy and the direction of the country.
For many years, Memorial Day was celebrated annually on May 30th to honor American soldiers who died in battle, but in 1971 it officially became a federal holiday and is now celebrated on the last Monday in May.
Jason Redman, a former Navy SEAL who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, told The Associated Press last year that he remembers his fallen friends and has 30 names tattooed on his arm, “everyone that I knew personally that passed away.”
