‘Travel is back’: Airports flooded by passengers during Fourth of July weekend

EL PASO, Texas -- With the Fourth of July holiday in the wraps, there's one thing that's still going strong this summer -- travel.

The Transportation Security Administration says the number of travelers is back to pre-pandemic numbers.  Nearly 9 million travelers went through airport security in the U.S. According to TSA, nearly 2.5 million people were screened on Friday alone, a record high since the beginning of the pandemic.

Travelers however dealt with canceled and delayed flights. Over the weekend thousands of people faced travel woes. In the U.S. alone, more than 18 thousand flights were delayed and about 14 hundred canceled, according to FlightAware.

"So the great news is that travel is back, the challenge is that travel is back," said Patricia Mancha,

The biggest tip Mancha has for travelers it so pack your patience and arrive early.

"We cannot say it enough, arrive early, at least two hours before your domestic flight, three hours before your international flight."

Make sure you double check your carry-on bags. Mancha said people who haven't traveled recently tend to bring on prohibited items like bottles of water. pepper spray, "throwing stars, firearms or guns."

"It can take anywhere from (an additional wait time of) five to15 minutes every time we find a prohibited item and someone's carry on luggage. So if you slow down the line for yourself, imagine what you're doing for everyone in line behind you."

For more travel tips click here.