If you’re flying this summer, be prepared for crowded planes and airports and the possibility of long security lines.
A record number of passengers are expected to take to the skies this summer, according to an airline industry group.
Airlines for America forecasts that a record 257.4 million passengers will fly on U.S. airlines from June through August. That’s an average of 2.8 million passengers a day.
The forecast is for a total that's 3.4 percent higher than the record of 248.8 million passengers last year, according to the airline association. Summertime airline passenger counts have been increasing for 10 years in a row.
Atlanta airport and airline officials recommend passengers be inside the airport two hours before their scheduled departure time for domestic flights and three hours before international flights.
The airline industry group says flying has become more affordable. Many passengers must pay extra for checked bags and other items or services. But when average 2018 base air fares are adjusted for inflation, they were the lowest on record since 1995, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, which samples 10 percent of tickets sold.
For Memorial Day weekend alone, nearly 105,000 in Georgia are expected to fly, up 5.3 percent over last year, according to AAA. Top travel destinations in the U.S. for the long weekend are Orlando, New York and Las Vegas, based on AAA travel bookings.
Airlines for America noted that the federal government is diverting U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers from airports to the southern border, as The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported.
"If this is permitted to continue, it will lead to excessive lines and wait times for passengers and cargo entering the country from overseas," Airlines for America said in a press release. "That would discourage leisure and business travel to the U.S. and jeopardize the economic benefits that come with it."
Some Transportation Security Administration staff are also being asked to volunteer to deploy to the southern border.
The airline industry group and other aviation and travel industry associations wrote a letter to Senate leaders pushing for more funding for U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer staffing and overtime, including at airports.
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