If you’re planning to fly for an Independence Day trip, prepare for crowds.
Nearly 4 million passengers are expected to pass through Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport over the Fourth of July travel period, with heavy volumes ramping up starting this Thursday.
The airport said the busy holiday travel period will extend from Thursday through Monday, July 8. The Fourth of July falls on a Thursday this year, and airport officials are preparing for a longer travel period that includes long weekends before and after the holiday.
The busiest day of the Fourth of July travel period is expected to be this Friday when more than 367,000 passengers are expected at Hartsfield-Jackson, including connecting travelers.
Other busy days will be Sunday, July 7 and Monday, July 8, with nearly as many passengers expected on those days.
Officials at the world’s busiest airport are recommending travelers get to the terminal at least 2.5 hours before domestic flights and 3 hours before international flights. Those who need wheelchair assistance should allow even more time.
During some of the airport’s busiest periods, security checkpoint wait times can reach 50 minutes.
AAA expects the number of people traveling over the Fourth of July period to set records in Georgia and nationally. More than 70.9 million people in the United States are expected to travel at least 50 miles over the Independence Day period by air, automobile and other modes of transportation, including 2.3 million people in Georgia.
Over Memorial Day travel period last month, the number of people passing through security checkpoints at Hartsfield-Jackson hit a record 111,000 on the Thursday before the holiday weekend.
