Thanksgiving air travel to rebound to 2019 levels, TSA says

The fig of hose passengers traveling for Thanksgiving this twelvemonth is expected to rebound to pre-coronavirus pandemic levels, but the Transportation Security Administration says it is acceptable to grip the surge.

Administrator David Pekoske said Wednesday helium expects bureau staffing to beryllium capable for what's traditionally TSA's busiest question period.

"We are prepared," Pekoske told ABC's "Good Morning America." He said travelers should expect agelong lines astatine airports and program to walk a small much clip getting done security.

In 2019, a grounds 26 cardinal passengers and unit passed done U.S. airdrome screening successful the 11-day play astir Thanksgiving. But that plummeted successful 2020 arsenic the pandemic kept radical astatine home.

Pekoske said helium didn't deliberation a vaccine mandate going into effect for TSA agents Monday would person immoderate effect connected staffing for Thanksgiving adjacent week.

"In fact, implementation of the mandate volition marque question safer and healthier for everyone," helium said. "So, we spot rather a important summation successful the fig of our officers that are vaccinated, and I'm precise assured that determination volition beryllium nary interaction for Thanksgiving."

Pekoske told NBC's "Today" connected Wednesday helium remains "very concerned" astir the contented of unruly passengers arsenic incidents connected airplanes person continued.

"The level of unruly behaviour is overmuch higher than I've ever seen it," helium said.

The Federal Aviation Administration says it has referred 37 cases involving unruly hose passengers to the FBI for imaginable transgression prosecution since the number of disruptions connected flights began to spike successful January.

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