The Baton Rouge Metro Airport. (Collin Ritchie)”> The Baton Rouge Metro Airport. (Collin Ritchie)
The Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport is preparing for a busy Memorial Day travel period as industry forecasts project what could be the busiest Memorial Day weekend on record for U.S. travel.
BTR Assistant Director of Aviation Louis Hubbard says a little more than 14,000 passengers are expected to travel through the airport during the five-day holiday period that began Thursday and runs through May 26.
Airlines are scheduled to operate 112 departures during the travel window, with an estimated 7,104 outbound passengers and 6,904 inbound passengers. Outbound flights are expected to average nearly 90% full.
Airport officials are encouraging travelers to arrive early, especially during peak morning travel times, and to check directly with their airlines for the latest flight information.
AAA projects Memorial Day travel nationwide will increase by roughly 200,000 travelers compared to last year, with an estimated 3.6 million people expected to fly during the holiday weekend. The holiday traditionally marks the unofficial start of the summer vacation and road trip season.
Looking ahead, industry trade group Airlines for America projects U.S. airlines will carry 263 million passengers between June and August.
BTR is looking for a third straight year of record passenger traffic. The airport served approximately 847,000 passengers in 2025, surpassing the previous record of 844,025 set in 2024 by about 0.5%. Before that, the airport’s record annual passenger count was 821,236 in 2019.
