The TSA expects nearly 40 million holiday flyers this year

LOS ANGELES (KTLA) - Get ready, Southern California: the next wave of the holiday travel season is upon us.

This one will truly be unlike any other, with about 40 million people flying for the holidays between Dec. 19 and Jan. 2, according to an estimate from the Transportation Security Administration.

That would mark a 6.2% increase from last year, the TSA says, and Thursday was expected to be the busiest day to fly. The next busiest days are expected to be Friday, Dec. 20 and Friday, Dec. 27.

In all, about 119.3 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home during the same period, according to AAA. If that estimate comes to fruition, this year would surpass 2019 as the busiest holiday travel period on record.

“This is the time of year when lifelong memories are made with loved ones, and travel plays a big role in that,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel. “This year, with Christmas Day falling on a Wednesday, we’re anticipating record-breaking travel numbers the weekend before and the weekend after the holiday.”  

According to Hertz, Los Angeles is among the cities with the highest demand for a rental car during the holiday season.