More than 3 million travelers screened at US airports in a single day. It’s a record

Travelers returning home from the Thanksgiving holiday set a record Sunday, as airport officials screened more than 3 million people.

The Transportation Security Administration said Monday it welcomed 3.09 million travelers, breaking the previous record of about 74,000. That mark was set for July 7, also a Sunday after a holiday.

Hundreds of thousands of travelers have been delayed or had their flights cancelled. Airlines canceled about 120 U.S. flights — not an unusually high number — and more than 6,800 flights were delayed, according to FlightAware. The greatest number of delays occurred at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

The TSA had predicted that air travel during Thanksgiving week would increase 6% compared to the same days last year, matching a record travel trend in 2024.