More than 1.7 million people traveled on airplanes Friday in the U.S., the highest single-day passenger total since March 12, 2020.
No day had topped 1.7 million passengers in the previous 14 months, according to Transportation Security Administration data.
The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic on March 11, 2020, the same day that Tom Hanks tested positive and the NBA shutdown.
On May 7, 2020, only 215,444 travelers cleared TSA checkpoints. This year’s total of 1,703,267, which came two days before Mother’s Day, was still lower than the 2,602,631 people who flew May 7, 2019.
More than 112 million Americans, comprising nearly 34% of the country, have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
