The engines aren’t the only things revving up for the Indy 500.

The Indianapolis International Airport is preparing for a massive influx, anticipating a 20 to 50 percent jump in airline seat capacity for race weekend – a significant leap from last year’s 11 percent increase. More than 111,000 people are expected to fly out of the Indianapolis International Airport between tomorrow, May 22nd, and Monday, May 26th.

The busiest days are expected to be this Friday through Monday, with nearly 74,000 departures. Monday alone will see almost 23,000 people flying out. To help manage the rush, TSA Concourse A checkpoint will open at 3 AM from Friday through Monday. This year’s race weekend is already outpacing 2024, which saw over 91,000 travelers.

This surge underscores the massive draw of the Indy 500, kicking off what’s expected to be a busy summer travel season for the city. If you’re planning to travel this summer please keep in mind the following:

1. Plan ahead, pack smart, and get to the airport early.

2. Hoosiers can process through either TSA checkpoint and proceed to their gate in either concourse using the concourse connector.

3. TSA PreCheck is only available at checkpoint A.

4. Airline ticket counters opening time varies, but generally, they open two hours before flight departure.

5. As May 7, 2025, U.S. travelers must be REAL ID compliant to board domestic flights and access certain federal facilities.