NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The holiday hustle and bustle appears to be back after a downturn during the coronavirus pandemic.
TSA Administrator David Pekoske says they anticipate 20 million Americans will take to the skies this Thanksgiving holiday.
10 On Your Side stopped by Norfolk International Airport on Tuesday where crowds were noticeably bigger than usual.
This past Friday, the TSA recorded their biggest travel day since the pandemic began with nearly 2.5 million travelers.
Concern mounted earlier this month when Pekoske said only 60% of the TSA workforce had been vaccinated. Many worried the agency wouldn’t be able to handle the high holiday demand if they had to fire a significant amount of workers over the mandate.
When the federal vaccine deadline came on Monday, TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein announced on Twitter that 93% of employees were in compliance and the mandate would not affect Thanksgiving travel.
Having the TSA run smoothly creates smooth trips for people like David King who traveled to Norfolk from San Antonio, Texas, to see his parents.
“Everything was great, nice and chill, the baggage was good, the lines were not that long so it was good,” said King.
The TSA wants to remind people bigger crowds mean longer lines at security, so arrive at the airport early and remember to bring a mask.
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