U.S. airports just had their busiest day ever. Here’s what that means at Cleveland Hopkins

More than three million people traveled through the country’s airports — more than on any other day in history — on Sunday, July 7, according to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration. The number of travelers has also been high at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport as well, said Jessica Mayle, a TSA spokesperson.

“It has been an extremely busy summer. We're expecting that to continue all the way through Labor Day in Cleveland specifically,” she said.

The total number of annual passengers at Cleveland Hopkins was up nearly 9% through May 2024, compared to the same time last year, according to airport figures.

But those increased numbers of passengers haven’t increased wait times at TSA security checkpoints, Mayle said.

“I would say… we're doing pretty good in terms of what our standards are,” she said. “It's pretty rare that we exceed them anywhere, especially in Cleveland — that 30-minute standard [for the standard queue] and that 10-minute standard [for TSA PreCheck].”

Even when the TSA lines look long they don't necessarily correspond with long wait times, she said.

“I know sometimes the line looks very intimidating if you just see a long queue of people, but we don't measure the number of people that are in line,” according to Mayle. “We measure that time when someone gets in line to when they get out of line… So we try and keep that under 30 minutes for a standard passenger.”

Mayle explains that by working closely with the airport and its airlines, TSA staff prepares for however many passengers need to be screened based on the number of tickets airlines have sold.

“At all our airports, including Cleveland, we work closely with our airports and our airline partners so that we can predict when [people are coming]… down to the hour, down to the lane,” Mayle said. “Obviously, there are factors that can make those numbers a little fluid, go up or go down. But we know how many people we’re expecting so that we can staff appropriately.”

What can travelers do to avoid long waits?

While line waits are still under their 30-minute standard at Cleveland Hopkins, Mayle recommends passengers still arrive at the airport early to avoid any last-minute travel chaos.

“There are so many things that passengers can do to make their screening go quicker. And the number one thing, which I'll just reiterate, is arriving early,” she said. “If you're dropping off a rental car or if you're parking or doing anything like that, give yourself a little bit extra for that. When we say two hours, it's two hours from when you get to the airport.”

Mayle also explains that there are things passengers can do to decrease the amount of time that both themselves and others spend in line at the security screening checkpoints.

“Have your ID ready. A lot of times people walk up, and they've got that boarding pass. And then we say, ‘Actually we need your ID,’ and then they have to start all over again. They're going through their bag," she said. "It may be just 30 seconds for you, but when it's 30 seconds, 30 seconds, 30 seconds, it really adds up... So make sure you're ready.”

Mayle also recommends that passengers double-check that the items they are putting in their bags are allowed.

“We say pack smart and start with an empty bag. A lot of the times when you have a bag that alarms, and we have to say, ‘Whose bag is this? Is this your item?’ and we have to go through it, people say, ‘Oh my gosh, I didn't even realize I had that,’ or, ‘I don't even need that,’” she said. “Really what you can do is start at home, make sure you're not putting anything in that carry-on bag that you don't need that's not going to alarm.”

If anyone has questions about what is permitted in checked and carry-on bags, Mayle recommends that they check tsa.gov, TSA’s mobile app or contact a representative on TSA’s social media pages.