AAA predicts record travel numbers for July 4 due to strikes and severe weather

(CNN, KYMA/KECY) – AAA is predicting a record-breaking holiday for Independence Day, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects more than 32 million people to travel by air.

On Monday, the airline released details of how it is handling the huge influx of travelers, which was caused by severe weather and a strike by Canadian aircraft mechanics.

The Fourth of July travel period could break records. AAA’s forecast covers the period from June 29 to July 7, and it expects more than 70 million Americans to drive 50 or more miles from home during that time, the highest number ever for the holiday.

The AAA expects most people to travel by car, but the TSA expects to screen more than 32 million passengers from June 27 to July 8.

The agency says summer overall could set a new record and that Independence Day tends to be the time when travel activity peaks.

“This summer’s travel season began on Memorial Day weekend and runs through Labor Day, and TSA is prepared for the highest volume of travel our agency has ever seen,” said Christine Assili, deputy federal security adviser for the Philadelphia Phillies.

For some, vacation plans are complicated by a strike by aircraft mechanics at Canada’s second-largest airline and the weather, including heat warnings for those states on Monday, more flooding in New Mexico and the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season.

“There is no doubt that the situation has intensified very quickly,” said Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Currently, Hurricane Beryl is only a concern for Americans traveling abroad, but Brennan shares what travelers can expect on their trip.

“We’ll have to wait and see if it continues to move west toward Mexico and perhaps makes a slight northward turn toward Texas,” Brennan explained.