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The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen more than 18 million passengers at U.S. airports over the week beginning July 1. Airlines operate fuller flights on larger planes while the air traffic control system faces staffing and technology shortfalls.
NPR reported that the Transportation Security Administration is preparing to screen more than 18 million travelers at U.S. airports over the week beginning July 1, 2026. U.S. airlines are carrying more passengers than ever while operating fewer flights than they did 20 years ago, flying bigger planes with more seats filled.
Nashville International Airport illustrates the pattern. The number of passengers departing from the airport more than doubled between 2015 and 2025, according to Department of Transportation data. The facility recorded its highest passenger total last year and will open a new lobby next year.
Shirley Beldsoe, who has flown through Nashville since the 1970s when the airport had a single terminal, said the airport itself is now beautiful. She added that airplane aisles feel more crowded and legroom has tightened. Industry leaders identify the air traffic control system as the central constraint.
Chris Sununu, head of Airlines For America, told a Capitol Hill hearing last week that the short-staffed and antiquated system poses the biggest threat to a healthy airline industry. He urged Congress to provide funding beyond the $12.5 billion appropriated last year. As of September the FAA had only 27 fully certified controllers at the Nashville tower against a target of 52.
Last week the FAA awarded an $875 million contract for AI-enhanced software to coordinate flights nationwide. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said at an industry conference in May that replacing 1970s-1990s equipment with digital technology will leave deeper inefficiencies unchanged.
Polly Trottenberg, who served as deputy transportation secretary during the Biden administration, called the $12.5 billion a good down payment but insufficient for a system underinvested for a decade and a half.
Some travelers described added friction. Marisol Maldonado said air travel has become more difficult, especially when renting a car. Nate Jones called the rental process a nightmare but said travelers must remain patient.
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news.sky.comThe 70-meter embroidery will travel from Bayeux, France, for an 18-month display in London. It will be shown in one continuous length inside a glass case. The loan follows a 2025 promise by French President Emmanuel Macron.
winnipegfreepress.comMore than 2,000 protesters marched through Durban on June 30 after weeks of violence that killed at least four people. Tens of thousands of migrants fled homes or were repatriated ahead of the protests.
A fire broke out Wednesday morning on the eighth floor of a 10-storey building in Antwerp's Linkeroever neighborhood. Several people were killed and many injured, with more than 200 residents affected by the blaze.