St. Louis Airport Experiences Record Passenger Surge Amid Long Waits

ST. LOUIS, Missouri — St. Louis Lambert International Airport reported its busiest day ever on Sunday as a surge of departing passengers overwhelmed security lines. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened 25,913 passengers, officially marking a record in the airport’s history since TSA screenings began in 2001.

The increase in travelers followed the conclusion of the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference, which ended the previous day. “On July 13th, St. Louis Lambert International Airport experienced its busiest day ever,” a TSA spokesperson said in a statement, noting that all checkpoints were open and fully staffed to handle the high volume of passengers.

Despite the preparations, travelers reported extensive waits and congestion at ticket counters and TSA checks. Robert Ruiz, a traveler from Puerto Rico who attended the convention, described the difficulties of trying to return home after the event. “It’s a heavy traffic because all people are returning to different countries, so it’s very difficult,” Ruiz said.

With thousands of delegates expected to depart, many travelers arrived at the airport in the early morning, creating a bottleneck. An airport spokesperson mentioned that the situation was worsened because most passengers needed to check bags and few were enrolled in expedited programs like TSA PreCheck or CLEAR.

Concerns also arose among Southwest Airlines employees about the aging baggage conveyor belts, which may not withstand the added pressure of so many travelers. Even those with expedited services experienced delays. Melvin Anderson, flying home to California, said, “So far this is still the longest I’ve seen in the precheck here in St. Louis. Usually 5 minutes. Yeah, usually there’s nobody outside this gate area, so you usually go right through.”

Kyle McDowell, a traveler from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, expressed satisfaction with TSA PreCheck and CLEAR. “Gets me in and out a lot easier and also the CLEAR, same thing,” he said. “But TSA is great. Gets me in and out quick.”

The airport’s 2024 annual report acknowledges ongoing staffing shortages and aging infrastructure, even as officials plan a multi-phase terminal consolidation aimed at improving passenger flow. The proposed project will centralize TSA screening areas to create a more streamlined process.

Lambert served nearly 16 million passengers in 2024, making it its busiest year in two decades. The future vision includes plans for up to 62 gates and an annual capacity of 21 million passengers by 2040.

As of Monday, it was unclear if Southwest Airlines informed TSA or airport officials about the surge in travelers or if any internal adjustments were made beyond the TSA’s staffing plan.