The Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) is expecting heavy passenger volumes for the July 4th holiday, following a very strong start to the summer travel season.
From Thursday, July 4 through Monday, July 8, more than 44,500 seats are scheduled to depart Louisville, closely mirroring the numbers for same period in 2023, the airport’s busiest year to date. Nearly 390 passenger flights are expected during the five days with the busiest days for outbound seats being Sunday, July 7 (9,600 departing seats) and Monday, July 8 (nearly 10,200 departing seats).
“The continuation of the positive momentum is evident at SDF following 2023, which was our best year ever,” said Dan Mann, Executive Director of the Louisville Regional Airport Authority, which owns and operates Louisville’s airport. “Already this year from January through May, SDF’s overall enplanements, a key industry indicator measuring the number of departing passengers, are up 10% compared to the same time last year. With this data, and what we’ve experienced so far, we’re confident it’s going to be another robust summer here at SDF.”
The month of May was also up 10% with more than 242,500 enplanements compared to last year. Plus, the airport’s 10 single busiest days ever that were not related to travel for the Kentucky Derby happened this year in May and June.
“These are all very good signs to us as well as the airlines as they continue assessing SDF and investing in our market,” added Anthony Gilmer, Vice President of Air Service Development and Strategic Marketing. “The fact that SDF experienced single day records in both in May and June, following what was a banner year is simply incredible. This leaves us well positioned for a strong finish to the summer travel season.”
With the high passenger volume expected through the week and for the remainder of the summer, travelers are encouraged to arrive two-hours before their scheduled departure time to allow plenty of time to park, check-in if needed, go through security and be at their gate in time for boarding. All travelers are encouraged to monitor their flight status on their airline’s website or mobile app.
Travelers who wish to park at the airport should be mindful that intermittent closures are possible as some lots become temporarily full. Traditionally, the garage and surface lot are the most popular locations; however, convenient access adjacent to the terminal is available in the East and West Premier Lots. Currently, the Express Shuttle Lot is only $5 per day with a pre-reservation that is available online at SDFPark.com. Rideshare users can also save $5 on their next trip to SDF using Lyft or Uber by using the special promo codes available at FlyLouisville.com/save5.
