Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Many Bostonians are taking full advantage of their first three-day July 4 weekend in 10 years by catching flights.
Most travelers plan to get out of town before the holiday. Friday will be the least busy day to fly.
"I always get out of town a couple days before the fourth. That's safe protocol for sure," said Brian of Boston.
The Transportation Security Administration predicts that they will screen over 18 million travelers across the country between July 1 and July 7.
Sunday July 6 is set to be the busiest travel day this weekend, with nearly 2.9 million people expected to fly.
"We're glad to beat the rush. Hopefully we'll be able to get out of here," said one couple at Logan airport.
Data shows a significant increase in holiday travel this season. AAA predicts more than 72 million people will travel at least 50 miles or more away from home from June 28 to July 6. The forecast for domestic travel is up by 1.7 million compared to last year and 7 million more than in 2019.
The agency screened almost 3.1 million travelers on Sunday June 22, the agency's busiest day in history.
While thousands are expected to leave Boston for the weekend, AAA booking data lists Boston as one of the top destinations for Independence Day because of the Boston Pops Firework Spectacular on the Charles River. Drawing thousands of attendees, the renowned display is one of the most popular fireworks shows in the nation.
WBZ NewsRadio’s James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.