TSA Prepares for 2024 Holiday Travel Surge: 3 Busiest Days Revealed

It’s no secret that the festive season sees a surge in travelers at the airport. This year, however, is set to see a 6.2% increase over last year’s crowds, according to the TSA. The agency expects to screen almost 40 million people between December 19 and January 2. 

Higher numbers of travelers year-over-year were forecast at least as far back as October when Expedia’s Holiday Travel Outlook reported that international Christmas travel flight searches were up 20% compared to 2023. 

The forthcoming peak surge follows the TSA’s busiest-ever day. December 1 was one for the agency’s history books as it screened more than 3 million people across U.S. airports as travelers wrapped up their Thanksgiving holidays. 

According to the TSA, many of those 40 million travelers will be passing through U.S. terminals on three key dates: December 20, December 27, and December 30. 

TSA spokesper