Memorial Day Weekend — the unofficial start of the summer — is fast approaching, and with it the anticipation of an increase in travelers.
The Transportation Security Administration said it is prepared to handle the increase in travelers who will be flying out of New York City-area airports, like JFK International and LaGuardia.
The TSA will likely be screening more than 3 million passengers across the country in just a single day at some point during this summer, marking the first time ever this figure will be reached, according to the agency.
The TSA anticipates that on Thursday and Friday (before Memorial Day), they could see more than 2.9 individuals screened at checkpoints across the nation.
“Here at LaGuardia Airport, we expect to see an increase of about 10 percent more travelers per day for Memorial Day Weekend than we see in an average weekend,” said Robert Duffy, TSA’s Federal Security Director for LaGuardia Airport.
Meanwhile, at neighboring John F. Kennedy International Airport, the TSA expects to screen about 12,000 more travelers each day during the Memorial Day Weekend compared to a typical weekend, TSA’s Federal Security Director for JFK International Airport John Essig said. This will mark an 11.5 percent increase of travelers since last year.
While the TSA said it is ready for the increase in travelers, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is apologizing in advance for what could be a rough summer getting access to terminals with the roads under massive construction.
Port Authority is estimating an additional 15 to 30 minutes per trip (including in an Uber) if you’re going directly to a terminal.
When asked if they could envision people hopping out of their cars and walking like they once did at LaGuardia Airport, Executive Director of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Rick Cotton said “we pray” that doesn’t happen.
The Port Authority also acknowledged that it’s under consideration to offer discounted and possibly even free AirTrain. Currently, the air train is $8.50 per person, a price that quickly adds up if you are a traveling family. While this is a notable issue no decision made yet on that.
The Port Authority urges travelers to get dropped off at the LEFFERTS AirTrain which is already a free ride to terminals.
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