Travelers flocked to airports across the country over Labor Day weekend as the number of passengers who passed through security topped pre-pandemic levels for the first time.
The Transportation Security Administration said that it screened over 8.7 million people during the four-day holiday weekend. The busiest day was Friday (September 2), when 2.48 million people were screened by the TSA. The only day this summer that saw more people traveling was the Friday before Independence Day, when 2.49 million passengers passed through a TSA checkpoint.
While the summer was marked by a large number of flight cancellations and delays, things were slightly better during Labor Day weekend, with just 0.6% of the total flights canceled and fewer delays reported, according to FlightAware.
Kathleen Bangs, a former airline pilot and a spokesperson for FlightAware, told CNN that she expects air travel to be much better in the fall than it was over the summer.
"Travel should be optimal during September through October, as demand drops so there is not the same level of stress on the heavy airline schedules we saw over the summer," Bangs said.
She also suggested that now is the best time to book flights for upcoming travel.
"With decreased seat capacity scheduled for fall, people considering traveling during September and October and even into early November should buy those tickets now while they are discounted," she said.