US airports to screen over 20 million passengers during Thanksgiving, says TSA chief

In the United States, airport authorities are preparing to screen about 20 million people during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, which begins on Thursday, November 25. Taking to Twitter, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) chief David Pekoske said, "TSA expects to screen about 20 million passengers during the Thanksgiving holiday." With overall vaccination rates improving nationwide and greater confidence in healthy travel, there will be more people traveling, so plan ahead, remain vigilant, and practice kindness," he added.

According to a press release issued by TSA, the busiest days of the week are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday, including Thanksgiving Day. All travellers arriving at the airport are required to go through screening checkpoints at the airport and on flights. In the US, the TSA officers have been screening between 1.9 and 2.2 million people daily, which is comparatively lower than pre-pandemic times when nearly 2.5 million passengers were screened daily and numbers were higher on holidays, said the press release. During the screening at the airport, the TSA officers will search the bags of all the travellers using various detection tools. They will also ensure that all the passengers follow COVID measures, including wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, and proper sanitization.

Passengers required to enrol names in TSA PreCheck before travelling

According to a press release, all passengers who are planning to travel during this Thanksgiving or Christmas season are instructed to enrol their names in TSA PreCheck. Earlier this week, the Biden administration lifted all the restrictions on airline passengers who are fully vaccinated and belong from 33 countries, including China, South Africa, Brazil, and much of Europe. As per various media reports, the airport authorities are expecting a huge number of people travelling for the Thanksgiving holiday, including tourists travelling across land borders from Mexico and Canada.

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