TSA closes 2020 with changes in security checkpoint operations
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported the final daily figure of estimated travel volume for calendar year 2020, closing a year that tested the agency’s ability to innovate and quickly implement modifications across more than 440 federalized airports nationwide to address the pandemic. Between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2020, the agency screened a total of approximately 324 million passengers throughout its airport security checkpoints. That figure represents just 39% of the approximately 824 million total passengers screened in 2019.
“In 2020, TSA implemented significant operational changes across its entire security checkpoint environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The speed and degree of change was unmatched in our 19-year history,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “The flexibility and agility of the men and women across TSA is a testament to their dedication to our collective transportation security mission. Our entire workforce, including screening officers, canine handlers, inspectors and federal air marshals, continues to do everything possible to protect our colleagues and airline passengers, and I am grateful for their adaptiveness and resilience.”