Airport security. Photo: Shutterstock The busy Thanksgiving holiday (November 25 to December 1), and the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has successfully concluded its nationwide screening operation.
Airports across the United States scanned a total of 18 million passengers. The busiest day was Sunday, November 30, 2025, when most passengers returned from family visits. The TSA reports that about 3.1 million passengers passed through airports on that day, a record for a single day and in line with early predictions for a particularly busy holiday.
Relatively large congestion was also recorded throughout the week, but no unusual events were reported, according to official publications.
As anticipated, airports expect more congestion later this month, especially towards Christmas and New Year's Eve, a time when many Americans visit their families across the country.
Christmas in New York. Photo: Shutterstock
The TSA has published several tips for travelers planning their upcoming vacation, including bringing a valid ID, passport, or other acceptable means of identification, and presenting it to officers at the entrance to the checkpoint, and being attentive to officers at the security checkpoint.
As you may recall, in the United States, people breathed a sigh of relief recently after the longest shutdown in the country's airport history, lasting 43 days, just before the busiest days of the year, which will last until after Christmas and the New Year.