Americans are taking to the skies in huge numbers for the Fourth of July weekend, surpassing pre-pandemic Transportation Security Administration screening numbers and causing the tourism industry to struggle to meet the sudden surge in demand.
Figures from the TSA on Thursday and Friday show that airport screenings climbed above 2019 levels for the first time since the pandemic began.
On Thursday, 2,147,090 people were screened, surpassing the 2,088,760 travelers on the same day in 2019.
Yesterday 2,196,411 travelers were screened, more than the 2,184,253 people who travelled on July 2 in 2019.
These numbers far surpass 2020 figures, when high death and infection rates limited travel over the holiday weekend to reach a high of just 764,761 people on July 1, 2020.
The TSA said that on Thursday and Friday airport screenings climbed above 2019 levels for the first time since the pandemic began
Travelers make their way through airport security at Denver International Airport on July 2 ahead of Independence day
Travelers make their way through Salt…
