Domestic air travel had another record-breaking year in 2025, but American travel patterns are shifting, according to a new AAA Northeast analysis of several years of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint data.
More than 906 million passengers went through a TSA checkpoint in 2025 — an increase of 2.57 million passengers over 2024 — which was a new annual record but amounts to less than 1% growth year over year. In comparison, 2024 saw a 5.3% increase over 2023, which experienced 13% growth over 2022.
Fewer people flew on Mondays and Tuesdays, which saw respective drops of 0.39% and 3% in passenger volume last year. Meanwhile, Thursdays and Sundays saw growth of 1.89% and 1.87%, respectively. One explanation might be softness in business travel early in the workweek and continued strength in leisure travel, which tends to occur closer to weekends.
Along with shifting daily trends in 2025, travel started the first half of the year slower than 2024 before rebounding around the Fourth of July holiday, and the momentum continued through October. October, in particular, saw 3% growth year over year as shoulder season travel booms in popularity.
Other insights from the AAA Northeast analysis:
- Sunday was the busiest travel day, while Tuesday was the slowest. Travelers looking for the best prices should look for trips that begin and end on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when passenger volumes are lighter. In 2025, an average of 2.73 million travelers went through TSA gates on Sundays while an average of 2.16 million went through on Tuesdays.
- There were more extremely busy days with more than 3 million travelers in 2025 — more than ever before. Over 3 million travelers passed through checkpoints on May 23, June 22, July 6, July 13, July 20, July 27, Oct. 10 and Nov. 30 in 2025, the TSA reported. There were only two 3 million-plus days in 2024: July 7 and Dec. 1.
- Sundays in early summer were especially busy. June 22 and all four Sundays in July had more than 3 million passengers. If you’re looking to avoid crowds, skip Sundays in July.
- Daily records were broken twice in 2025. The TSA reported the single highest day ever for passenger volume on June 22, when 3.09 million passengers were screened. The record was broken again on Nov. 30 with 3.13 million passengers.
- Economic uncertainty might explain the slow start. AAA travel advisors indicate that most leisure trips are booked three to six months out. Economic uncertainty in late 2024 and early 2025 may have contributed to lagging travel numbers in the first half of the year. As consumer sentiment improved, bookings increased for the second half of the year.
- October is booming. AAA travel advisors say October and autumn in general are increasingly popular with travelers because of deals during the shoulder season and favorable weather in many regions in the U.S. and beyond. Travelers looking to book October trips should do so as early as possible for the best deals.
- Summer travel still dwarfs other periods. While travel volume historically spikes over Thanksgiving and year-end holidays, more people travel at the height of summer than any other time of year. TSA screened 85 million people in July compared to 71 million in November and 77 million in December.
- A minor dip in November and December is noteworthy. Passenger volume during those months was down 0.15% and 0.08% respectively. While the decline was slight, it was possibly related to travel impacts from the government shutdown from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12. Interestingly, travel during the actual shutdown period was up 2.2% in 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. However, travel volume declined beginning Nov. 7, when the FAA ordered a reduction in flights. Passenger volume was down 6.21% between Nov. 7 and 12, 2025, compared to 2024.
Mark Schieldrop is a senior spokesperson for AAA Northeast. Based in Rhode Island, Mark is regularly interviewed on topics ranging from travel to traffic safety and is also a certified child passenger safety technician.
