The airline industry's recovery from the pandemic passed a milestone as more than 2 million people streamed through U.S. airport security checkpoints on Friday for the first time since early March 2020. The Transportation Security Administration announced Saturday that 2.03 million travellers were screened at airport security checkpoints on Friday. It was the first time in 15 months that the number of security screenings has surpassed 2 million in a single day.

Airline bookings have been picking up since around February, as more Americans were vaccinated against COVID-19. In the U.S., travel restrictions, such as mandatory quarantines, have eased.

The crowds Friday were only 74% of the volume compared to the same day in 2019. However, the 2.03 million was 1.5 million more travellers than the same day last year, according to the TSA.