Record-breaking 72M Americans set to travel over Fourth of July
A record 72 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the Fourth of July holiday period, which runs from June 28 to July 6, according to AAA.
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- Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport expects a 5% increase in outbound passengers for the Fourth of July weekend compared to 2024.
- The airport has scheduled over 315 departing flights with 36,000 seats available from July 3-6.
- Recent additions of nonstop flights to various destinations contribute to the increased travel demand.
Travel through the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport for the Fourth of July weekend is expected to increase for another consecutive year as demand for air travel remains high throughout the country, airport officials said.
According to a news release from the airport, the eight airlines that fly to and from SDF have more than 315 departing flights scheduled from July 3-6, with 36,000 departing seats, a 5% increase in traffic compared to 2024. The busiest day for travel is July 6, with nearly 10,000 outbound seats.
“We expect the July 4th weekend to be one of the busiest in recent years as SDF sees a very strong demand for air service from the region’s travelers,” said Dan Mann, executive director of the Louisville Regional Airport Authority. “The robust summer schedule from the airlines continues to take passengers to their favorite vacation destinations, especially with the addition of several nonstop flights at SDF that were not offered this time last year.”
Airlines at SDF recently added new flights for locals, including Breeze Airways with flights to the Raleigh-Durham and Fort Myers airports in North Carolina and Florida. Others include Spirit Airlines flights to Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit and Newark, New Jersey. Southwest Airlines is also expected to launch a direct flight to Nashville on August 5.
Those traveling to and from SDF are encouraged to arrive an hour to an hour and a half before departure time to check bags, get through security and board the plane, according to the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, while those flying internationally should arrive two hours before departure time.
AAA says they expect a record-breaking number of flights for Fourth of July week in 2025, with 5.84 million travelers, or 8%, opting to fly to their destination, a 1.4% increase from 2024.
The company is also expecting record-breaking travel numbers by car, with 61.6 million drivers between June 28 and July 6, a 2.2% increase over the previous year.
Reach Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com.
