Expect Long Labor Day Weekend Security Lines At Pittsburgh Airport

MOON TOWNSHIP, PA — If you plan to fly somewhere for a final summer jaunt this Labor Day weekend, be forewarned: Pittsburgh International Airport security checkpoint lines are bound to be long.

There are two reasons why patience will be required for travelers this weekend: The airport's traffic volume continues to spike, and Transportation Security Administration officials are forecasting the busiest Labor Day weekend ever nationally for air travel.

More than 962,000 travelers flew in and out of the airport in July, according to Blue Sky News, the airport's online news publication. That was an 11.2 percent increase over July 2023's 865,000 passengers and was the airport's busiest July since 2005.

The TSA is expecting to screen more than 17 million people from the Labor Day travel period between Aug. 29 and Sept. 4. The peak travel day is anticipated to be Friday, when 2.86 million travelers are expected to be screened.

In Pittsburgh, the busiest days are expected to be Thursday, Friday and Labor Day.

"People are traveling more than ever this summer and TSA along with our airline and airport partners stand ready to close the busiest summer travel period on record during this upcoming Labor Day weekend,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement.>

“I commend our vigilant workforce, from our TSOs on the front lines at airport security checkpoints across the country to those behind the scenes, working hard to keep the transportation system secure—especially as we continue to roll out new checkpoint technology that improves security effectiveness, efficiency and the passenger experience.”