Got summer plans? Transportation officials prepare for uptick of July 4 holiday travelers.
BALTIMORE -- The Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) is preparing for an uptick of travelers venturing to their summer vacations for the Fourth of July.
The TSA expects 32 million travelers to pass through their checkpoints from June 27 to July 8, marking a 5% increase from 2023.
Peak travel is expected on Friday and the TSA predicts it will screen 3 million passengers in a single day, marking a new record. The previous record of 2.99 million travelers was set on Sunday, June 23.
The FAA said Thursday was one of the busiest travel days so far this year with almost 54,000 flights taking off.
There could be even more travelers on Sunday, which will then be the busiest summer travel day.
"We're excited about the traffic coming back but our main focus is to make sure you get there safely," FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker told CBS News. "[On] Holidays people tend to go earlier, and Thursday is the big day. This is probably going to be the busiest travel day of the year. Certainly, the busiest travel day we've seen in the last 15 years."
With the tickets purchased, bags packed and wheels up, passengers say they are ready for some of the busiest travel days.
"We'll roll up our sleeves and be ready to go," Jan Sullivan from Annapolis said at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport. "So far so good. We just parked and walking in one bag and then TSA now looks like it's pretty easy."
TSA is asking travelers to pack their patience with a record amount of people taking to the air.
They expect to shatter the single-day screening record on Friday, the peak day for people to jet off to their summer vacations.
AAA says 1.5 million people in Maryland are expected to travel for the holiday.
"We're also expected to see a huge return to the sort of other shops versus people taking trains, even taking buses," said Ragina Ali, a spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic.
If you are headed to the Eastern Shore or driving to your destination, Ali says to leave early to avoid the heaviest traffic.
"We expect minimal traffic impact on Monday, July 1, but after that, we expect it to be really busy, especially in that 2 to 6 p.m. window," Ali said.
If you're traveling this weekend, remember to get to the airport early and make sure you get to your flight and destination on time.
If you're driving, AAA says to drive safely, eliminate distractions and don't drive while intoxicated.