STL air travel nears pre-pandemic levels over Thanksgiving holiday

Travel surged toward normalcy this holiday season. According to data from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the number of passengers who passed through St. Louis Lambert International Airport security checkpoints was down only 9.1 percent from 2019.

More than 180,000 travelers were screened at security checkpoints from Friday, Nov. 19, through Monday, Nov. 29. In 2019, 198,649 passengers cleared security compared to just 82,099 in 2020. The highest day this year was Sunday, Nov. 28, with 20,571 individuals. The last time the TSA screened more than this many passengers was December 27, 2019 - 20,855.

"We saw a lot of travelers over the past 11 days, much like pre-pandemic times," said Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge, STL Airport Director. "We are hoping this trend continues as we near the holiday season and into the New Year."

Other holidays this year have also seen noticeable bumps in airport traffic, including the Fourth of July, and the Labor Day holiday weekend.