The Dallas-Fort Worth International and Dallas Love Field airports are preparing for a surge of travelers en route to their Fourth of July celebrations.
July 3 is projected to see the highest volume of travelers this week, potentially ushering in what some project could be record-breaking numbers.
“We already saw, according to the TSA, the busiest single day of air travel. That record was broken just this past Sunday. 2.9 million people passed through the TSA. Almost just shy of 3 million people,” Going.com representative Katy Nastro said, per NBC 5 DFW.
“It is looking like moving ahead into next week that we have the potential to see 3 million people in one single day, then becoming the new record for the single busiest day of travel.”
Between Thursday and Sunday, 1.5 million travelers are expected to pass through the DFW airport, the hub of American Airlines, alone.
Overall, travel volumes are up across the state.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) expects roughly 5.6 million Texans to travel during the rest of the week and into the weekend, a 5.2% increase from last year. While most (4.8 million) are expected to drive to their holiday destinations, approximately 555,000 Texans will be traveling by airplane.
Beyond the Lone Star State, Americans are going on vacation in droves. American Airlines reported that roughly 70 million were slated to travel with the airline this week. Moreover, Nastro suggested that a growing share of U.S. travelers were opting for international destinations.
“Some people are taking advantage of where the day falls in the calendar week and are looking to go abroad. 54% of going respondents said that they were looking to travel internationally or more so internationally this year than in years past,” she told NBC 5.
Regardless of where travelers are headed, with increased volumes often comes heightened chaos.
“Insane!” is how a passenger named Amanda Ray, bound for the U.S. Virgin Islands, described her experience at DFW airport when asked by Fox 4 KDFW.
“We tried to get here an hour and a half early,” she continued. “We’re trying to get to St. Croix today through Miami and the line is wrapped all the day down at the end. Busy Fourth of July. Everyone wants to go traveling.”
Airlines have suggested that travelers arrive at the airport two hours in advance to have a smooth traveling experience.