As TSA announces record number of travelers during pandemic, local airports also see an increase and last updated 2021-05-11 07:58:28-04 NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- More travelers are taking to the skies. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported 1.7 million air travelers, Mother's Day weekend - the highest so far since the pandemic started. The Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport also saw a bump in passengers. They saw a high of 167 over the same weekend, up from the 61 it saw last year this time, according to the airport's marketing director Jenifer Spratley. "People have been getting vaccinated; people are more comfortable because it feels safer to travel now, although it is very safe to travel on an airplane," Spratley said.