Pack your patience, TSA projects busiest travel season in history this summer

DES MOINES, Iowa — This summer is projected to be the busiest travel season in history, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

The busy season officially kicked off on Memorial Weekend with that Friday being the busiest day in history, beating last Thanksgiving’s record. But the influx in travel didn’t stop there. Six of the 10 busiest days in history are reported within the last month.

According to the TSA, every Friday this summer and the week of July 4th is expected to bring an elevated number of passengers.

The busiest time for travel at the Des Moines International Airport is between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., during all seven days of the week.

Jessica Mayle, the regional spokesperson for TSA said, “We are looking to continue to set records this summer. And again, I just really want people to continue to have that mindset. Even if you traveled last year [or] you haven’t traveled much since last year. It’s going to be much busier. Make sure you’re giving yourself a lot of time.”

To ensure faster and easier travel, TSA recommends that travelers arrive to the airport two hours ahead of their boarding time and that they start packing with an empty bag.

Mayle said that beginning to pack with an empty bag is important because it reduces the risk of accidentally having a prohibited item inside your carry-on.

This is particularly important for the Des Moines International Airport because these instances can result in elevated wait times for passengers.

Mayle said that the standard wait time across the country is 30 minutes for standard passengers and 10 minutes for pre-check passengers. This is rarely the wait time for Des Moines travelers, but an incident in the security lane may alter their experience.

Just last week, a firearm was found inside of a passenger’s carry-on. Mayle said that most of the time, these events are accidents but a security lane gets shut down as a result. That can create longer security lines, and without enough time, passengers may be late for their flight.

Last week’s incident was the eighth firearm intercepted at the Des Moines International Airport this year. According to Mayle, only seven firearms were found in all of 2023.

She said the increase in these incidents is directly related to the influx of travelers this year.