Los Angeles International Airport and other area airports are preparing for heavy air traffic as the busy Fourth of July travel season begins Friday.
The Transportation Security Administration said it plans to screen more than 28 million passengers between Friday, July 5 and Monday, July 8, a 5.4% increase from last year.
Thursday was the fifth-busiest day in TSA history, with agents processing 2.92 million passengers, slightly more than the 2.91 million travelers screened on the Sunday after Thanksgiving in 2023.
TSA spokeswoman Laurie Dankers said LAX expects to screen about 900,000 people between July 1 and July 8. She said the airport’s busiest day will be July 3, when an estimated 119,000 people are expected to board. About the same number, 118,000 people, are expected to board on Monday, July 8.
The quietest day for travelers is expected to be the Fourth of July, with 100,000 travelers.
Dankers said the TSA is “fully staffed” and preparing for additional staffing.
“TSA has been planning for this holiday period for months, and operations at LAX are running very smoothly,” Dankers said in an email.
She added: ” [our] Our security officers will be working hard over the Independence Day holiday, but we are confident that travelers departing from LAX will experience a smooth and efficient security screening experience.”
The TSA said wait times are set at 10 minutes or less for TSA PreCheck lanes and 30 minutes or less for regular screening lanes.
The TSA also expects July 5 and July 7 to be the two busiest days of the travel cycle, with more than 3 million people expected to pass through 434 airports.
The increase in traveller numbers reflects the continued increase in air travel since COVID-19 health restrictions were lifted.
Officials at Ontario International Airport are expecting a 10.3 per cent increase in travellers between Tuesday, July 2 and Sunday, July 7.
This means that around 117,805 visitors will pass through the airport.
Ontario airport continues to ask passengers to arrive two hours before departure for domestic flights and three hours before departure for international flights, and parking must be reserved in advance.
Long Beach Airport did not release a forecast for Independence Day, but the airport had record-breaking performance in May.
The airport saw 189,435 travellers in May, beating the previous record of 182,382 travelled in March.
“LGB’s unwavering dedication to providing carefree, first-rate service exceeds travelers’ expectations and fosters economic growth and prosperity in our region,” Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement.
The transportation hub is preparing to handle the holiday crowds by increasing staffing at curbs and along crosswalks to keep traffic flowing, spokeswoman Kate Kuykendall said. Other improvements include setting up temporary cellphone shelters and making special accommodations for larger groups.
“This is an incredibly busy time for our airport, but we are proud to offer the most carefree and convenient passenger experience in the region,” Kuykendall said.
Hollywood Burbank Airport did not release a forecast for the Fourth of July.
The airport’s latest data showed that travel numbers rose slightly to 508,043 in April, just under 1,500 more than the same period last year.
John Wayne Airport in Orange County also did not release a forecast for the Fourth of July travel season. Unlike other airports, passenger numbers declined in May. The airport served 950,740 passengers last month, down 8.7% compared to May 2023 (1,041,342).