Imagine if nearly every single resident of Bartlett and Collierville decided to go the airport in the same two weeks.
That’s what officials expect for Memphis International Airport (MEM) during this Independence Day travel season. The Transportation Safety Adminstration (TSA) expects more than 101,000 people will fly through MEM between June 27 and July 8 this year. (The combined populations of Bartlett and Collierville are slightly above that figure, at around 109,000, according to Municipal Technical Advisory Service.)
More than 10,500 travelers passed through TSA security lines on Thursday, June 27, TSA said. It was expected to be the peak travel day in the holiday season. Wednesday and Sunday are expected to see the next-highest volume of travelers.
With all of this, MEM officials recommend that:
• Travelers arrive at the airport a minimum of two hours before their scheduled flight time.
• Prior to coming to the airport, passengers save time by checking in online via their airline’s website.
• Passengers should check directly with their airlines to monitor schedules.
• Airlines — not the airport — are responsible for all aspects of ticketing, scheduling, gate operations, and baggage handling. Check with your airline if you have questions about these subjects.
• MEM parking lots are likely to reach capacity during peak travel days. When this occurs, additional signage will be added, and additional parking staff will help direct drivers to available parking spots.
• For convenience, drivers parking in the blue or yellow lots may want to drop off luggage and other passengers at the terminal before parking.
• Shuttles are operating between the blue and yellow parking lots and the terminal.
