TSA administrator: Sun Belt seeing biggest increases in airport travel
Transportation Security Administration Administrator David Pekoske on travel recovery and how the coronavirus has changed how it operates.
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The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened nearly 4 million passengers over the holiday weekend, as travelers flew to see their special someone for Valentine’s Day or skipped town for the three-day Presidents Day weekend.
According to the federal agency’s latest checkpoint travel numbers, 3.9 million people passed through security screening between Friday and Monday. The number marks the second-busiest weekend so far this year, following 4.4 million screened between Jan. 1 (New Year’s Day) and Jan. 4.
Though the sum may seem high, a spokesperson for the TSA pointed out that the figure is just a fraction of traditional traffic in years past. (iStock)
COVID-19 TESTING WON'T BE MANDATED BEFORE DOMESTIC FLIGHTS FOR NOW, CDC SAYS
Though the sum may seem high, a spokesperson for the TSA pointed out that the figure is just a fraction of traditional traffic in years past, before the coronavirus pandemic upended the travel industry at large.
"While we saw weekend passenger volumes that exceeded 4 million airline passengers, this still represents about 40% of the pre-pandemic passenger volumes," a spokesperson told Fox News on Tuesday.
Airports across America were also bustling over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend last month, with 3.2 million screened between Jan. 15 and Jan. 18, according to the TSA.
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On Friday, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)announced that it does not plan to require coronavirus testing before domestic flights — for now. The CDC offered no further explanation for its latest update on the trending travel topic, simply stressing existing guidance on the subject.
The national public health institute, however, continues to urge the public to avoid travel in the fight against COVID-19.
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