Severe weather across the country continues to wreak havoc on air travel, leading to delays and cancellations. Despite these challenges, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is preparing for its busiest month of the summer travel season, with an expected surge of 3 million passengers during the Fourth of July period, including peak travel days on Thursday and Friday.
Justin Erbacci, CEO of Los Angeles World Airports, acknowledged the commencement of the bustling summer travel season at LAX, projecting a significant increase in passenger volumes. In the days before and after Independence Day, an average of 228,000 daily passengers is expected. Erbacci encouraged travelers to take advantage of LAX’s smart parking system, pre-booking parking spaces to alleviate the strain on parking structures, and also suggested ordering food and beverages in advance for convenient pickup or delivery to the gate.
The Fourth of July travel period at LAX spans from Wednesday to July 10, with Thursday, Friday, and July 10 predicted to be the busiest days. Approximately 241,000 passengers are anticipated on Thursday, 245,000 on Friday, and 251,000 on July 10. These numbers represent nearly 90% of the passenger volume witnessed in March 2019, before the pandemic, and are expected to be the airport’s busiest travel days since early 2020.
Amidst these high travel volumes, severe weather conditions in other parts of the country persist, causing further flight disruptions. By midday, FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, reported 28 flight cancellations and over 180 flight delays at LAX.
The Automobile Club of Southern California also predicts a significant increase in travel for the Fourth of July holiday period. Approximately 3.4 million Southern California residents, a 4.4% rise from last year, are expected to travel, with 2.7 million traveling by car, 517,000 by air, and 253,000 using alternative means such as bus, train, or cruise. Nationally, the number of travelers is expected to surpass the 2019 record, reaching nearly 51 million people.
While gas prices in Southern California are lower than last year, averaging $1.50 per gallon less, they remain at the second-highest level ever recorded for the Fourth of July period. As a result, the Auto Club highlights the importance of planning ahead and recommends popular destinations such as Las Vegas, San Diego, the Central Coast, Mexico, and the Grand Canyon for Southern California travelers.
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INRIX, a traffic-analytics firm, projects heavy congestion on Sunday evening on the 15 Freeway heading towards Las Vegas, with travel times expected to increase from the usual four-hour drive to six hours during this peak period.