The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and airlines are preparing for what they expect to be the busiest holiday travel season ever beginning this Friday, Nov. 17, through the end of the month.
“We expect this holiday season to be our busiest ever. In 2023, we have already seen seven of the top 10 busiest travel days in TSA’s history,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement Monday.
More than 30 million people are expected to travel by air during the 12-day period beginning this Friday, with the busiest day expected the Sunday after Thanksgiving, Pekoskesaid on the “TODAY” show.
TSA says it expects to screen 2.6 million passengers next Tuesday, Nov. 21, and 2.7 million on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Sunday, Nov. 26, is projected to see 2.9 million screened passengers.
Airlines for America — which represents American, United and Delta, among others — said the roughly 30 million passengers between Nov. 17-27 is an all-time high.
The busy holiday travel season arrives as Congress stares down an end-of-week deadline to avert a federal shutdown.
If there is a funding lapse, TSA workers and air traffic controllers would have to work without pay until government funding is restored.
Maryanne Trump Barry, former President Trump‘s eldest sister, has died at 86.
President Biden said he expects Israel to take “less intrusive action relative to hospitals” as Israeli forces have closed in on a hospital complex in Gaza that it says Hamas uses as a key operational headquarters. The intelligence has not been independently verified.
Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley‘s presidential campaign is making a $10 million ad buy in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Haley is looking to outperform Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the early voting states and establish herself as the alternative to former President Trump, who continues to dominate GOP primary polling.
labor
UAW president testifying at Senate panel hearing
United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain is set to speak Tuesday at a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on how unions are combatting “corporate greed.”
Fain’s testimony, alongside that of other union leaders, comes shortly after the UAW reached tentative agreements with the “Big Three” automakers to end the longest auto workers strike in 25 years.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) launched her campaign for Virginia governor on Monday, a week after Democrats won majorities in both of the state’s legislative chambers. Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) can’t run for a consecutive term in 2024.
GOP candidates to participate in Iowa forum
Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) and his wife Lynette will host a GOP presidential candidate forum on Dec. 9. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Texas pastor Ryan Binkley are set to attend.
