Summer travelers concerned about crowded airports are relying on data-driven forecasts from major travel organizations to plan their trips and pick the best — and least busy — days to fly.
This summer is expected to be busier than last year, with roughly 9 million more passengers taking to the skies. Forecasts estimate about 246.1 million travelers will fly between June 1 and Aug. 31.
While many people assume midweek travel is quieter than weekends, forecasts indicate that the three busiest travel days this summer will be the Thursdays following July 4: July 5, July 12 and July 19.
Airports are preparing for peak days that could see as many as 2.68 million passengers daily by increasing staff and resources. Measures include hiring an additional 1,000 security officers and deploying 50 more canine teams to help keep screening times low and move passengers through checkpoints more efficiently.
The projections and operational adjustments are based on data from Airlines for America, AAA and the Transportation Security Administration, which monitor travel trends and security needs throughout the season.