The Transportation Security Administration said it examined more than 700,000 people on each of the three days during the four-day travel period of the holiday weekend, the first time above 700,000 since mid-March.
The nearly 2.7 million people screened Thursday through Sunday were about 28% of the 9.4 million people seen during the equivalent weekend last year.
The numbers have also increased substantially since Memorial Day weekend in May, but are still a fraction of the record traffic over the holiday weekend in 2019, which set a TSA record at the time.
American Airlines said Saturday that the first three days of July were the three busiest since the pandemic.
The weekend was the first since April that American Airlines began selling flights at full capacity. United Airlines has also been selling flights to full capacity.
Both airlines said they are warning passengers that the flights may be full and that they will allow passengers to rebook without charge for a less full flight.
While airlines note that travel volumes are still well below sustainable levels, they have been preparing for growth since the lows reached in mid-April.
Data from Airlines for America, which represents major US airlines, shows that airlines have recalled 800 aircraft stored during the pandemic as of Sunday. According to the group, 39% of the US fleet is currently punished.
US airlines operate at just 46% of their usual capacity, according to the group.
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