Travelers returning to skies as TSA checkpoint numbers rise

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Airports across the country are seeing a sharp increase in the amount of people flying as the summer travel season heats up.

Over the holiday weekend, TSA checkpoint pass-throughs were at their highest point since the COVID-19 pandemic spread nationwide. On Thursday, July 2, 764,761 people were screened by TSA nationwide. That's the first time since before cases of the coronavirus ramped up that passengers had exceeded 700,000. That number dipped back down to 466,669 on July 4.

By comparison, 2,088,760 people were screened at TSA checkpoints on July 2, 2019.

"It is really good. We are starting to see the rebound," said Natalie Chaudoin, spokeswoman for the Louisville Muhammad Ali Airport. "Here at SDF, our capacity is strong. The airlines are taking notice of folks wanting to continue traveling."

Some airlines have even begun to loosen social distancing restrictions on flights to accommodate the increased passenger load. Both United and American Airlines recently began selling flights to capacity. The airlines are allowing passengers who don't feel comfortable to re-book to a flight with less people.

"We expect by the end of August, by the end of summer, that we'll be at 65% capacity to where we were a year ago," Chaudoin said. "We've retained the majority of our non-stop destinations."

TSA pass-throughs dipped to their lowest point on April 14 with just 87,534 people traveling by commercial airline that day.