SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says people traveling for Memorial Day weekend should be patient because there will be long lines at U.S. airports.
Mayorkas told ABC on Friday the Transportation Security Administration has been in a hiring surge so it can be ready for increased travel this weekend and over the summer as the nation emerges from the coronavirus pandemic. Mayorkas notes masks are still required in airports and on airplanes and probably will continue to be required until mid-September.
Airline executives say domestic leisure travel is at pre-pandemic levels, and the number of people passing through U.S. airports daily is likely to top 2 million before the week is over.
At the Sacramento International Airport, Scott Johnston, Public Information Officer of the Sacramento County Department of Airports, expects to see about 13,000 passengers per day, combined departing and arriving, during the holiday weekend.
"That compares with about 11,500 passengers per day during the Easter holiday weekend, so we are seeing an uptick in passenger demand and volume," Johnston said.
In 2020, during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Sacramento International Airport saw an average of 3,000 passengers per day. In 2019, the airport saw roughly 17, 700 passengers during the Memorial Day weekend.
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