Will You Become One of 44 Million TSA Screened Travelers

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) today announced it is gearing up for a record-setting holiday travel season.

On December 22, 2025, the TSA stated it is fully staffed and ready to screen a projected 44.3 million travelers at the nation's airport security checkpoints between Friday, December 19, 2025, and Sunday, January 4, 2026.

The TSA expects the heaviest traveler volume will be on Sunday, December 28, 2025.

The busiest day last year was December 27, when TSA screened just under 2.85 million travelers.

TSA Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Deputy Administrator, Adam Stahl, commented in a press release, "We continue to enhance the traveler experience by deploying new technologies and procedures t..."

One of these enhancements is REAL ID.

More than 94% of passengers already use their REAL ID or other acceptable forms of identification.

The TSA began enforcing the REAL ID Act in May 2025, and starting in February 2026, the agency will refer all passengers who do not present an acceptable form of ID and still want to fly to an option to pay $45 to use a modernized alternative identity verification system, TSA ConfirmID, to establish identity.

Another enhancement launched in July: TSA PreCheck® "Serve with Honor, Travel with Ease" benefits for the military and uniformed service community. This program includes expedited lanes for service members, free TSA PreCheck for surviving immediate family members of military servicemen and women who lost their lives in the line of duty, and TSA PreCheck discounts for spouses of military and uniformed service members.

With various disease outbreaks currently impacting international travelers, the U.S. CDC recently updated Travel Health Notices for chikungunya, dengue, measles, polio, and yellow fever. Many of these diseases have U.S. FDA-approved vaccines available at travel clinics in late December 2025.