TSA prepares Labor Day weekend travelers for busy airports, based on summer travel trends

WASHINGTON — The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects to screen more than 14 million passengers during the Labor Day holiday weekend from Sept. 1, 2023 through Sept. 6, 2023. The busiest day is projected to be Sept. 1, 2023, when TSA expects to screen over 2.7 million travelers passing through security checkpoints.

The agency has screened about 227.5 million passengers since Memorial Day weekend, an average of 2.5 million per day. Travel volumes during this summer travel period are higher than 2019 during the same summer travel period, marking the busiest summer travel period on record.

“We anticipate this Labor Day holiday weekend will be busy, with passenger volumes nearly 11% higher than last year—volumes that already exceeded 2019 Labor Day holiday travel volumes,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “We are prepared for the increase in travel volumes and are working closely with our airline and airport partners to make sure we are maintaining our wait time standards of 30 minutes and under for standard screening lanes, and 10 minutes and under for TSA PreCheck lanes. There are occasions where wait times may be longer, so we encourage you to arrive early, pack your patience and reach out to us before arriving to the airport if you have any questions on our security procedures or items you may bring. I applaud our frontline employees who have done an excellent job throughout the busy travel season to facilitate secure travel for millions of passengers, all while we continue to deploy new checkpoint technology that enhances security effectiveness, efficiency and the passenger experience.”

Here are some valuable, family-friendly travel tips to know before you go:

NOTE: Given airport and airline preparations in advance of Hurricane Idalia’s landfall, it is important that passengers monitor for weather impacts on their travel plans. Be storm ready, visit Ready.gov to make your plan today.

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