TSA at LaGuardia Airport set record for passenger throughput on the Friday before Memorial Day Weekend

NEW YORK - The Transportation Security Administration experienced its busiest day ever on May 24, 2019, the Friday before Memorial Day, screening a total of 2,792,525 passengers and crew members, the same day that TSA at LaGuardia Airport also set a record of 62,793 individuals screened at the airport’s security checkpoints.

The previous high day at LaGuardia Airport was set just last month, on April 18, when 59,698 travelers passed through the security checkpoints and onto their departing gates.

Even though TSA screened a remarkably high volume of travelers nationwide, 96.1% percent of all passengers waited less than 20 minutes in a checkpoint line and 91.5% of TSA Pre✓® passengers waited less than 5 minutes. 

On an average travel day, the agency screens approximately 2.2 million passengers and crew and expects to break screening records throughout the summer travel period. Travelers can assist by arriving prepared for the security screening process, which helps to keep the security lines moving.

LaGuardia Airport expects to see a 4% increase in passenger volume over last summer, which may lead to longer wait times at checkpoints because airlines are bringing in larger aircraft to hold the additional travelers – yet another reason to arrive at the airport two to three hours prior to departure.

 “Already we see a trend that this summer is going to be one of the busiest on record here at LaGuardia with a notable increase in the volume of passengers so with that in mind, my advice to travelers is to get to the airport two hours before their flight and listen to the guidance that the TSA officers are providing at the checkpoints. The officers know the procedures and their instruction will keep the flow of passengers operating smoothly,” said Robert Duffy, TSA’s federal security director for the airport. “The bottom line is that it’s going to be a very busy summer, so best to get to the airport early due to the expected crowds.”

Duffy also recommends that travelers pay close attention to the items that they place in their carry-on bags to ensure that they are not carrying any prohibited items to the checkpoint because doing so will slow down the security screening process.

Passengers with questions about whether an item should be packed in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither, there are several ways they can find out:

• Visit the “What can I bring?” page on tsa.gov and type in an item.
• Use social media. Tweet your question to @AskTSA or reach out via Facebook Messenger.
• Download the free MyTSA app and use the “What can I bring” feature.

TSA’s top 10 list of busiest days of travelers screened nationwide