MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Travelers can say goodbye to the days where there were no lines at the airport.
Air travel continues to increase and Memphis International Airport expects a busy six days of travel for the 4th of July holiday. Airport spokesman Glen Thomas said MEM had its busiest week (June 20-26) since December of 2019.
“We are still down by about 14% compared to this time period to the same time period in 2019 but you can see we are getting closer to those 2019 numbers and as it has been the case for the last couple months, Memphis International has been recovering at a faster pace than the average airport," Thomas said.
While travel demands increase, so does the need for workers. Staffing shortages have led to lines at airports across the nation and delayed and canceled flights such as was the case for American Airlines causing headaches for travelers.
American Airlines canceled hundreds of flights citing staffing shortage and weather. AA reports 50 to 60 flights could be canceled per day through June and 50 to 80 per day through mid-July.
TSA has also struggled to hire enough workers for airports. American Airlines is responsible for a good chunk of flights coming and going at MEM.
Thomas said people flying out of MEM should expect to arrive two hours early.
He also encourages fliers to familiarize themselves with what TSA allows in bags to ensure a faster process. Click here to check.