What BTR projects its Fourth of July travel numbers to look like

The Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport expects the upcoming Fourth of July holiday weekend to mirror that of 2024.

Louis Hubbard, assistant director of aviation at BTR, tells Daily Report that from Thursday to Monday, the airport is projecting a total capacity of approximately 12,500 available seats, evenly divided between inbound and outbound travel.

“We expect just shy of 5,600 outbound passengers during that period, which is in line with travel volumes seen during last year’s July 4 weekend,” Hubbard says.

Hubbard added that there is one additional flight this year compared to last year.

AAA projected late last month that the number of people traveling by air over this year’s Fourth of July holiday week will set a record.

AAA expects 5.84 million travelers in the U.S. to fly to their destinations. The projection is a 1.4% increase over the previous record set last Independence Day week.

BTR recommends passengers check with their airline for the latest policies and cut-off times for checking bags, as several carriers have recently updated their guidelines. Passengers will need a Real ID-compliant driver’s license or another acceptable form of identification to board domestic flights.

BTR reported earlier this year that it was on track for another record year in passenger volume through March. Through the first three months of 2025, the airport’s passenger traffic is up 6% over 2024, when the airport saw a record 844,025 passengers.

This story was originally published by Daily Report on July 2. To keep up with Baton Rouge business news, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.