BAY COUNTY, Fla. and LOS ANGELES, Calif. (WMBB/KTLA) – The Fourth of July weekend brought record-breaking travel numbers across the country, with Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) experiencing high volumes of passengers.
At ECP Airport in Bay County, Florida, officials recommend passengers arrive three hours before departure time on weekends due to the large number of travelers. More than 200,000 people came through the airport last month and are expecting even more this month. One father-daughter duo was waiting in the terminal to pick up a relative from Austin, Texas.
At LAX, two young brothers from New York visited their aunt in Southern California for the holiday weekend. They had a lovely Fourth of July and were preparing to return home.
TSA expects today, July 7, 2024, to be their busiest day ever with over 3 million people being screened at checkpoints. This surpasses the previous record of 2.99 million people set a few weeks ago on June 23rd.
Air travel was not the only mode of transportation experiencing high volumes. AAA predicted nearly 71 million Americans would travel more than 50 miles during the Independence Day week, and car travel was also busy.
Gas prices were lower than last year, but traffic hit its peak between 2-8 p.m., making it essential for those returning home to avoid the roads during these hours.
Despite the record-breaking travel numbers and potential inconveniences, both airports moved lines along well and provided a smooth experience for passengers.
