(NewsNation) — Air travel in 2023 surpassed pre-pandemic levels, with the Transportation Security Administration screening over 17 million passengers in the past week.
This is up 4.9% from the same time frame last year and 3.3% higher than the pre-pandemic travel of 2019.
Overall, the number of travelers going through U.S. airport checkpoints is up 12.4% over last year and 1.4% higher than in 2019, according to the TSA.
Travel around the Thanksgiving holiday topped 2019 numbers, peaking at 2.9 million — a single-day record for TSA — screened on Sunday, Nov. 26.
The busiest day last year was Dec. 29, when TSA screened nearly 2.4 million passengers.
“We are prepared to handle the busy passenger volumes this winter holiday season,” said TSA administrator David Pekoske. “TSA’s continued success during this record year for travel is a direct result of teamwork, planning and professional execution across the agency, from our frontline employees to those behind the scenes; partnerships with airports and air carriers; and innovative checkpoint technologies that improve security effectiveness, efficiency and the passenger experience.”
Meanwhile, airlines have canceled just 1.2% of U.S. flights so far this year, the lowest in five years.
While travel numbers are up, flight prices seem to relaxing. Average fares in October were 13% lower than a year earlier, according to the government’s latest data. Airlines have sold 31% more tickets for international arrivals to global destinations between Dec. 21 and Dec. 31 compared to the same period last year, according to travel data firm FowardKeys.
