Airport screenings exceed 2 million a day for the primary time in pandemic

In the midst of a busy getaway for Memorial Day weekend and the first public holiday since restrictions on the coronavirus pandemic were eased, many travelers wait in line for their LAX flights at Delta Airlines, Terminal 2 on LAX Friday, 28, 2021 .

Allen J. Cockroaches | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images

The Transportation Security Administration screened more than 2 million people at U.S. airports on Sunday, the highest number since Covid-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020.

The surge is welcome news for airlines, hotels, and other travel companies devastated by the virus, travel restrictions, and quarantines.

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The TSA examined nearly 2.1 million people the most since March 7, 2020 on Sunday. That’s still nearly 545,000 fewer people than the same day in 2019 as business and international travel are still depressed. Airlines have said this is improving, but that the recovery will take longer than domestic vacation travel, which is fueling the recovery.

The agency screened just over 2 million people on Friday, about 74% of the number who passed through checkpoints at TSA airports compared to two years earlier.

The increase in travelers increases travel prices from airfares to hotel prices to car rental prices.