If you plan to travel between now and Labor Day weekend, brace yourself for unusually crowded airports. The Transportation Security Administration is expecting its busiest summer travel season ever and has added over 2,000 airport security workers to meet operational demands.
In all, 263 million travelers and crew are projected to pass through security checkpoints across the nation between Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, TSA said in a May 23 release.
The agency said it’s slated to screen over 10 million more travelers than last summer, likely setting a record for the highest number of passengers and crew screened in a single day and single week.
In addition to the extra manpower, TSA has given a 20% increase in overtime funds to local TSA leadership to allow for greater scheduling flexibility during the busiest travel periods. The agency has also deployed more passenger screening canine teams.
To increase security and efficiency, TSA said it plans to leverage new technologies at airports, including credential authentication, automated screening lanes and computed tomography.