Air travel hits record high as nation marks Labor Day

A busy Labor Day weekend is capping a record summer travel season, The Dallas Morning News reports.

An estimated 16.5 million people are flying over the week running from last Wednesday through Tuesday, Sept. 4. That's a 3.5 percent increase over the same week last year — an extra 79,000 passengers per day — and a record. Travel demands have hit all-time highs this year, with 20 of the 25 busiest days at U.S. airports, measured by passenger volume, and Thanksgiving and Christmas travel rushes still to come.

"We had an all-time high passenger volume in 2017," said John Heimlich, chief economist at industry group Airlines for America, and all signs point "to another record year for 2018."

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