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Los Angeles International Airport officials have issued a warning for travelers flying during the Labor Day weekend: Expect congestion on the roads and in the airport terminals, “which will
be more crowded than usual.”
There is good reason for the warning: The nation’s second-busiest airport is expected to serve a record 1.13 million air travelers between Friday and Tuesday, a 2.35% increase over the same
period in 2017.
The busiest day of the holiday weekend is expected to be Friday, when 245,770 travelers are anticipated, according to airport officials. The airport served an average of 231,000 travelers a
day last year.
The prediction is in line with a forecast issued this week by Airlines for America, a trade group for the country’s largest air carriers. The group predicted that a record 16.5 million
people will fly on U.S. airlines this weekend, a 3.5% increase over the Labor Day weekend in 2017.
Demand for air travel has been growing steadily for the last several years, a reflection of a strong economy and improved consumer confidence, according to industry experts. The price of
airline tickets has also dropped or remained flat since the middle of 2015, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
But airline industry experts warn that rising jet fuel prices could force carriers to look for ways to pass along the higher costs to travelers. In the last week, JetBlue and United have
announced higher checked bag fees, with other carriers expected to match the increase.
To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter.
