LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The Transportation Security Administration is projecting this will be the busiest Labor Day travel period on record.
The TSA revealed it is prepared to screen more than 17 million people between Thursday, August 29 and Wednesday, September 4, which is more than 8% higher than last year.
This comes as gas prices and airfare continue to fall at the end of a busy summer for travel.
AAA reports the average price for a gallon of regular gas in Kentucky was a little over $3.10 on Thursday, down nearly 40 cents from last year.
As for airfare, Hopper reports a 5% drop in Labor Day weekend airfare from last year.
Travelers at Lexington's Blue Grass Airport celebrated the price relief as they arrived to board their flights on Thursday morning.
"Surprisingly, my ticket was pretty cheap this year," one traveler said.
"They were a little bit down. Not much, but they were a little bit down," another said.
Peak air travel is expected Friday, with the TSA expects to screen 2.86 million people.
For those heading to their destination by car, AAA recommends avoiding peak travel times.
On Friday, they suggest avoiding 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
On Saturday, they suggest avoiding 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
