The Fourth of July travel rush is underway, with U.S. airports experiencing some of the busiest days on record despite flight schedule reductions and concerns about summer travel demand. Recent data from FlightAware indicates that more than 40,000 flights have been canceled or delayed since Saturday due to summer thunderstorms affecting various parts of the country.
"Five of the 10 busiest days ever at U.S. airports have come since Memorial Day weekend," according to Transportation Security Administration data reviewed by TPG. This includes June 22, which saw over 3 million passengers pass through TSA checkpoints, setting a new record for single-day travel.
The peak of the holiday weekend rush is expected on Thursday, July 3, as projected by booking app Hopper in its holiday forecast. The return travel days on Sunday and Monday are also anticipated to be among the busiest.