Los Angeles International Airport and other area airports are preparing for an influx of air travelers, kicking off the busy Fourth of July travel season on Friday.
TSA says it expects to screen more than 28 million passengers were received between Friday and Monday, July 5-8. This represents a 5.4% increase in traffic compared to last year.
Thursday is Fifth busiest day in TSA history, Security personnel handled 2.92 million passengers. That number is only slightly higher than the 2.91 million travelers screened the Sunday after Thanksgiving in 2023.
TSA spokesperson Lorie Dankers said Los Angeles International Airport expects to screen about 900,000 people between July 1 and 8. She said the airport’s busiest day is expected to be July 3, when 119,000 people are expected to travel. An estimated 118,000 people are expected to be busy on Monday 8 July.
The lightest day is expected to be July 4, with 100,000 passengers.
Danks said the TSA is “fully staffed” and prepared for increased numbers.
“The Transportation Security Administration has been preparing for this holiday season for months and operations at LAX are going very smoothly,” Danks said in an email.
She added: “Although [our] Security staff will be working hard during the National Day holiday, and we believe travelers departing from LAX will experience a smooth and efficient security experience.
TSA stated that the wait time standard for TSA pre-check lanes is 10 minutes or less, and the wait time standard for regular security lanes is 30 minutes or less.
The TSA also expects July 5 and July 7 to be the busiest days of the travel cycle, with more than 3 million passengers traveling through 434 airports.
The increase in passenger numbers reflects continued growth in air travel since COVID-19 health restrictions were lifted.
Officials at Ontario International Airport expect passenger travel to increase by 10.3% between Tuesday, July 2 and Sunday, July 7.
This means approximately 117,805 tourists passed through the airport.
Ontario airports still require passengers to arrive two hours before departure for domestic flights and three hours before departure for international flights. Parking spaces should also be reserved in advance.
The Long Beach Airport has not released a July 4 forecast. However, the center is coming off a record-breaking May.
In May, passenger arrivals at the airport reached a record high of 189,435, surpassing the airport’s previous record of 182,382 in March.
“LGB’s unwavering commitment to providing hassle-free, first-class service exceeds traveler expectations and drives economic growth and prosperity in our region,” said the Long Beach Mayor. Rex Richardson in a statement.
Public Affairs Officer Kate Kuykendall said the transit hub is preparing for the holiday rush with increased staffing at curbs and crosswalks to keep traffic flowing. Other enhancements include the addition of temporary cell phone waiting areas and special accommodations for large groups.
“While this is an extremely busy time for our airport, we are proud to offer the most stress-free and convenient passenger experience in the region,” said Kuykendall.
Hollywood Burbank Airport has not released a forecast for July 4th.
The airport’s latest figures show passenger numbers rose slightly to 508,043 passengers in April. Compared with the same period last year, the number of passengers increased by nearly 1,500.
Orange County’s John Wayne Airport also did not provide any forecast for the Independence Day travel season. Unlike other regions, May saw a decrease in travel volumes. Last month, the airport handled 950,740 passengers, a decrease of 8.7% compared to May 2023 (1,041,342 passengers).
