The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen about 44.3 million passengers through early January, a figure that if realized would make this year’s holiday travel season one of the busiest on record.
The agency’s projections cover the weeks between Dec. 19 and Jan. 4, 2026. The single busiest day in that span will be Sunday, Dec. 28, TSA said, when about 2.86 million people in the U.S. will board an airplane. Saturday, Dec. 27, and Monday, Dec. 29, will be close behind in terms of passenger volume, according to the agency’s forecast.
The single busiest travel day last year was Dec. 28, when TSA screened around 2.85 million passengers.
TSA officials said Monday that the agency is well prepared for the surge in traffic. They also noted recent changes in airport policies – including Real ID requirements and the end of mandatory shoe removal at security checkpoints – that they said will make the flying experience safer and more convenient.
Industry trade group Airlines For America has estimated that about 52.6 million people will fly with a U.S. carrier between Dec. 19 and Jan. 5, 2026. If reached, that number would set a record for the holiday travel period.
