(Idaho Falls, ID)  - With holiday travel rapidly approaching, the Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA) reminds travelers to plan ahead and take extra time to get through safety checkpoints as they prepare to fly this holiday. 

According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the upcoming July fourth holiday is expected to see an estimated 12.1 million people traveling through security checkpoints from July 3-7, with peak travel coming on Sunday, July 7. 

“This is a good time to remind anyone who is going to be flying this week to take a little extra time and plan ahead as you go to the airport,” says Airport Director Rick Cloutier. “Arriving a little early and giving yourself a buffer can save a lot of headaches as you travel.  Don’t cut things close and risk missing flights because you didn’t anticipate potentially long security lines.”

On a typical day, the TSA screens approximately 2.2 million passengers.  Those numbers go up significantly during the summer between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.  The TSA recently announced that they expect a record setting summer, with 263 million passengers and crew projected to pass through TSA checkpoints during that time period.

“With that amount of volume, it’s just a good idea to be prepared,” said Cloutier. “The summer time is a time for fun, and a little bit of preparation can make all the difference in in making a good trip.” 

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For more information or to arrange an interview with city staff, contact Idaho Falls Public Information Officer Bud Cranor at 208-612-8306.