TSA Screens Over 2.2 Million Passengers Friday, Marking Highest Number Since Start Of Pandemic

BOSTON (CBS) -- Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, air travel is returning close to pre-pandemic levels.

TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein announced that TSA officers in the United States screened a little 2,242,956 airline passengers on Friday, which marks the highest amount since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

"It's the highest checkpoint volume since passenger volume tanked in early 2020 as a result of the pandemic. The Thanksgiving travel period has begun!" Farbstein tweeted on Saturday.

Earlier in the week, TSA administrator David Pekoske said it expects to screen about 20 million passengers nationwide during the Thanksgiving holiday.

On Thursday, Logan Airport said it is anticipating between 800,000 to 900,000 passengers over the next week.