Severe weather conditions continue to disrupt air travel nationwide, resulting in delays and flight cancellations. However, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) officials are predicting that July will be the busiest month of the summer travel season for the airport. They anticipate approximately 3 million passengers during the Fourth of July travel period.
Justin Erbacci, CEO of Los Angeles World Airports, expressed, “The busy summer travel season is upon us at LAX, and we expect passenger volumes to reach the highest levels we have seen so far this year, with an average of 228,000 daily passengers in the days leading up to and following the Independence Day holiday.”
Efforts are being made to accommodate the increasing number of passengers. LAX parking structures are reaching their capacities on a daily basis. Hence, guests are encouraged to utilize the award-winning smart parking system, which allows travelers to pre-book parking spaces in any Central Area Terminal structure or the LAX Economy Parking facility. To enhance the travel experience, passengers are also encouraged to arrive early and pre-order food and beverages for pickup or delivery to their gate.
The Fourth of July travel period at LAX is defined as Wednesday through July 10. The busiest days during this period are expected to be Thursday, with an estimated 241,000 passengers; Friday, with around 245,000 passengers; and Monday, July 10, with approximately 251,000 passengers.
These anticipated peak days represent about 90% of the passenger volume experienced in March 2019, before the pandemic. They are also projected to be the busiest travel days at the airport since early 2020.
This surge in travel coincides with severe weather conditions in other parts of the country, which have been causing significant flight delays and cancellations. As of midday, FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, reported 28 cancellations and over 180 flight delays at LAX.
Earlier this week, the Automobile Club of Southern California released a prediction stating that nearly 3.4 million residents from Southern California are expected to travel during the Fourth of July holiday period. This marks a 4.4% increase from last year and is only 1% below the all-time high recorded in 2019.
According to the Auto Club, approximately 2.7 million Southern Californians are planning to travel by automobile, while 517,000 will be flying, and 253,000 will choose other means such as bus, train, or cruise.
Nationally, it is estimated that nearly 51 million people will be traveling, surpassing the record set in 2019.
Since the Fourth of July falls on a Tuesday, the Auto Club has defined the travel period as starting on Friday and ending on July 4. Las Vegas, San Diego, the Central Coast, Mexico, and the Grand Canyon are expected to be the top destinations for Southern California travelers.
INRIX, a traffic-analytics firm, predicts that the worst traffic congestion during the holiday period in Southern California will occur on Sunday evening, specifically on the 15 Freeway heading toward Las Vegas. They estimate that the usual four-hour drive will likely take six hours during this peak travel period.
Auto Club officials mentioned that gas prices in Southern California are approximately $1.50 per gallon lower compared to last year. However, the average price still remains at the second-highest level ever recorded for the Fourth of July period.
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