Friday expected to be busiest air travel day of the year: TSA
On Friday alone, the agency expected to screen 2,718,000 passengers.
The Friday before the Fourth of July holiday means Americans looking forward to three things for certain: fireworks, barbecues and, of course, red, white and blue.
One thing they may not know: the number of people flying across the U.S. to attend those holiday celebrations.
Despite travel chaos during holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Transportation Security Administration says Friday could ne the busiest travel day of the year.
On Friday alone, the agency expected to screen 2,718,000 passengers, 100,000 more people than the Sunday after last Thanksgiving.
Airlines are gearing up for packed flights.
“People think our Super Bowl is Thanksgiving, but our Super Bowl is the summer operation,” said Delta Airlines Operations and Customer Care Senior Vice President Dave Holtz. “It’s the summer we worry about. It’s 90 days of chaos.”
And while the end of this week is possibly one of the busiest yet, nearly every Friday this summer will be just as busy for air travelers, officials said.
Each day this summer, the airlines expect to fly 2.7 million passengers, up from 2.5 million on average last summer, according to the trade group Airlines for America.
To help with the high number of passengers this weekend, Delta is using a new laser technology, assisting pilots in parking aircraft as they approach the gate.
Additionally, Orlando International Airport will be the first U.S. airport to use the “biometric exit,” a facial recognition technology U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and Greater Orlando Aviation Authority announced will “transform the passenger experience for arriving and departing travelers.”
For those planning to be in the air this busy weekend, TSA says traveling with any fireworks or other explosive devices is prohibited, not even in checked bags.
ABC News' Nathan Luna and Whitney Lloyd contributed to this story.