A record number of travelers passed through O’Hare Airport over the weekend, with about 114,000 people screened on Sunday — the highest ever for a single day, the Transportation Security Administration said.
The Juneteenth and Summer Smash weekend had two days of record-breaking volume at O’Hare, with Thursday being the second busiest day, with 111,000 individuals screened.
Seven of O’Hare’s 10 highest-volume travel days occurred in the last five weeks, TSA said.
“The record-breaking numbers were felt around the country, as Sunday was also the busiest day nationwide in TSA’s history. Officers screened nearly 3.1 million individuals,” the TSA said.
This comes ahead of July Fourth week, when many Americans hit the road. The government agency expects 18.5 million travelers to go through the nation’s airport security checkpoints in the first week of July, with the highest volume, 2.9 million, expected on July 6.
“With high travel volumes expected to continue this summer and into the holiday travel seasons, travelers should arrive at the airport in plenty of time to park or return a rental car, check bags and complete security screening before making their way to their gate,” the TSA advises.
Jessica Mayle, regional spokesperson for the TSA, said she hopes passengers will pack smart by paying attention to liquids in their bags and plan ahead. She added that the TSA uses a variety of strategies, such as canine screening teams and voluntary overtime to handle surges in passenger loads.
“Passengers are encouraged to arrive early and give themselves extra time, especially if flying during the busiest times of day, between 5 and 8 a.m. and 4 and 6 p.m.,” Mayle said.
The Chicago Aviation Department expects this summer to be the busiest ever at O’Hare and Midway, with more than 17.8 million seats available on outgoing flights scheduled between June and August. The department said it too is ready to handle any traffic surges.
The mandate requiring Real ID as documentation for those traveling by plane took effect May 7. Ninety-four percent of passengers presenting a Real ID or another acceptable form of identification, such as a passport, indicate that compliance is happening, the TSA said.