(NEW YORK) — The high volume of travelers in the United States passing through airport security after their Fourth of July getaways helped set a new single-day screening record for the Transportation Security Administration.

On Sunday, July 7, TSA officers screened 3,013,413 people at checkpoints nationwide, which surpassed the previous record of 2.99 million set on June 23, 2024, the agency announced Monday.

More people flew on an airplane in a single day in the U.S. on Sunday than on any other day in history since TSA was founded in November 2001.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas hailed the agency’s work as “an extraordinary achievement” in a congratulatory message on Monday.

“TSA fully, unerringly, and efficiently checked 35 passengers every second, along with all their luggage and carry-on baggage, while demonstrating unwavering professionalism and respect for travelers during the intensely busy holiday weekend,” he said. “Congratulations to the entire TSA workforce and Administrator David Pekoske.”

As air travel continues to skyrocket at “record-breaking” rates, which Mayorkas said is “expected to continue in the months ahead,” he urged lawmakers to consider the compensation of its agents.

“… It is imperative that Congress ensure pay fairness for TSA permanently,” he said. “It is the smart thing to do for everyone who depends on TSA to keep our skies and our country safe, and it is the right thing to do for these great public servants.”

He added that “for decades, TSA officers received less pay for their service than their government counterparts did,” citing that last year in partnership with Congress, DHS “secured long-overdue pay fairness” which he said has helped cut TSA workforce attrition in half, as well as increased recruitment rates, along with “improved morale and job satisfaction across the agency.”

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