The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened 3.13 million airline passengers on Sunday, marking the highest single-day total in US aviation history, officials confirmed Monday.
The record came at the height of the Thanksgiving travel period, despite snow and ice disrupting parts of the Midwest. The previous record—3.09 million passengers—was set on June 22, 2025.
Thanksgiving Travel Reaches New Heights
Chicago O’Hare, Atlanta, Denver, and Dallas were among the busiest airports nationwide as millions returned home after the holiday weekend.
Industry group Airlines for America estimated that US carriers would transport 31 million passengers during the 11-day Thanksgiving period ending Monday.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) projected more than 360,000 flights during the nine-day stretch ending Dec. 2 — the most in 15 years.
2025 Marks a Surge in Air Travel
The TSA has surpassed 3 million daily passengers eight separate times in 2025, compared to just two times before 2024.
The agency, now with nearly 60,000 employees, screened 904 million passengers in 2024 — a record high, and 5% more than in 2023.
Airlines Working Through Airbus A320 Software Issues
Holiday travel was further complicated by an ongoing issue affecting Airbus A320 aircraft.
Several US carriers reported that they are completing a mandatory software retrofit, ordered by Airbus and global regulators after a recent JetBlue mid-air incident linked to solar flare vulnerability.
JetBlue said the software issue forced an additional 20 flight cancellations on Monday, as maintenance crews continue updating affected A320s.
