TSA Estimates Thanksgiving Travel At BWI Will Reach Pre-Pandemic Levels
LINTHICUM, Md. (WJZ) -- Transportation Security Administration officials expect a lot of people will be flying home this Thanksgiving.
The agency is preparing for activity at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport to return to pre-pandemic levels during the Thanksgiving travel period between Friday, Nov. 19 and Sunday, Nov. 28.
Officials advised travelers to wear a mask in the airport and arrive two hours before their flight to go through security screening.
"Travelers should expect to see a very busy airport if they are traveling during the Thanksgiving timeframe," said Reginald Stephens, TSA's Acting Federal Security Director for BWI. "What passengers need to know is that we are ready and prepared for the expected increase in the number of individuals planning to fly out of BWI."
Stephens also advised passengers to research what items they can and cannot pack in a carry-on bag.
According to the agency, the busiest travel days are the day before Thanksgiving and the Sunday afterward.
On the Sunday after Thanksgiving in 2019, nearly 2.9 million people passed through TSA security checkpoints across the country, the agency said.