The month of May kicks off the start of the U.S. summer travel season – and nowhere is that felt more acutely than on college campuses, where students are closing laptops, submitting finals and streaming off campus in droves.

However, some may not get past the airport, thanks to a federal ID rule taking effect just as school's out.

The Department of Homeland Security set the May 7 enforcement date for REAL ID last year, but the law itself has been delayed for nearly two decades. Congress passed it in 2005 – before most current college freshmen were even born. With the deadline landing right after spring semester ends, there is real concern that students heading home could be confused or caught flat-footed by the new requirements.

"We have tens of thousands of folks weekly that are showing up at our driver’s license centers to get the REAL ID," Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Michael Carroll said at a press conference this week. "It’s a real challenge for us right now, because folks have waited until the last minute." 

On campuses, the buzz in the air is almost palpable as first-year students clamor to share their summer plans, either to far-flung destinations or to visit friends and family. For many, their "plans" include simply packing a carry-on, grabbing friends and escaping as soon as possible to a beach for sun-drenched surf and relaxation. However, for some travelers lacking a REAL ID – or confused about what the law means for them – this update could pose some very real, very unexpected barriers to summer travel.

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Some students were prepared. Riley Davis, a junior at the University of Alabama, said she obtained a REAL ID-compliant license earlier this year. 

"I first heard about Real ID on social media last year, and got the star added when I renewed my license this year," Davis told Fox News Digital. She praised her state's process as "super fast" and easy, noting that she was also able to register for the appointment online at her local DMV – an option available in some states. 

Most college freshmen just wrapped up two intense semesters, adjusting to academic pressures, building new friendships and navigating the quirks of dorm life – all while living away from home for the first time. Many also turned 18 just before or during their first year, meaning they may have only recently become eligible for a REAL ID, which is issued to U.S. residents 18 and older. 

It is unclear how many college-aged Americans are currently in compliance with REAL ID requirements. Current estimates are limited and vary from state to state. New Jersey's REAL ID compliance is the lowest in the country at 17% last month, according to data compiled by CBS News. Pennsylvania and New York reported compliance rates of just 26% and 43%, respectively.

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College students have cited confusion in recent conversations with friends and family about the new IDs and enforcement, as well as whether other documents, such as a passport, would be sufficient.

For anyone who is not prepared to meet REAL ID requirements, either because of when they turned 18 or due to confusion over the law's enforcement date, they could face long lines and significant wait times before they are cleared to fly domestically, if they can secure an appointment at all.

Officials in New Jersey, for example, said they post "thousands" of new slots a day for residents to obtain REAL ID licenses, slots that have booked up almost immediately, due to the backlog of residents waiting to apply.

Alabama also warned that its appointments are filling up fast, especially in larger cities, and may not be available online due to the last-minute crush. "If appointments are booked in your area, please check other nearby examining offices," Alabama state officials said last month. 

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Other states are also dealing with an eleventh-hour surge in visitors clamoring to obtain a REAL ID before they travel. 

Brilyn Hollyhand, an 18-year-old college student and political commentator who met just days earlier with President Donald Trump, told Fox News Digital this week that his issue is not with REAL IDs, but the way they will be used, or not used, for that matter. 

"I think it’s insane and stupid that we require an ID to fly domestically, but not to vote," Hollyhand said of the new requirements, which also apply to domestic flights. 

"It’s simple," he added. "If you need an ID to fly and visit your grandmother out of state, you need it to cast your ballot to decide the future of our nation."

Many young travelers mistakenly believe their current IDs will still work – even if they lack the star in the top right corner that indicates REAL ID compliance. Others do not realize that a valid passport can also be used for air travel under the new rules, adding to the confusion.

Garrett McDonalds, a sophomore at Auburn University, said his parents told him about the new ID requirements after they got their own licenses renewed – prompting him to renew his own ahead of the deadline.

He described the process as easy and "crazy smooth," so long as applicants bring the right paperwork.  "Now it should be easier to fly, and hopefully I don’t have to worry about losing my passport on trips anymore!" he said. 

TSA agents have warned that individuals without REAL IDs will be subject to additional screening beginning May 7 and should prepare for additional time at the airport before their flights.

The Trump administration has removed the vice chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, who was appointed to the role in the waning days of the Biden administration, Fox News Digital learned. 

The White House removed Alvin Brown from the National Transportation Safety Board, a White House official confirmed to Fox News Digital Tuesday morning. Brown had served on the five-person safety panel since March 2024, before President Joe Biden appointed him as vice chair of the board in December 2024 – one month before President Donald Trump's inauguration. 

The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent government agency charged with investigating major transportation accidents, such as plane crashes, and crafting safety guidance to prevent accidents. 

Brown, a Democrat, was the first Black mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, serving from 2011 to 2015, before serving as senior advisor for Community Infrastructure Opportunities for the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2022, according to his biography. 

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The National Transportation Safety Board's website, as of Tuesday morning, lists four members, all of whom were appointed by Trump either during his first or second administration. They are Chair ​​​​​​​​​​​​Jennifer L. Homendy, ​​​Michael Graham, ​​Thomas B. Chapman and ​​​J. Todd Inman. 

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The Trump administration was rocked by a plane crash on Jan. 29 near the nation's capital, when 67 people were killed after an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger plane collided near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. That accident was followed by other high-profile plane crashes. 

Air travel was hit with delays in recent days, most notably at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport, when air traffic controllers briefly lost communication with planes. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy joined Fox News' Laura Ingraham Monday evening, where he addressed the delays and said he plans to overhaul and "radically transform" America's air traffic control system.

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"We’re going to build a brand-new air traffic control system – from new telecom, to new radars, to new infrastructure. We’re bringing on new air traffic controllers," he said. "This has been a problem in the decades coming, and we’re going to fix it."

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"When you have an incident like this, you want to make sure that people are safe," he added, referring to the delays in Newark. "And so, you just have less departures out of the airport until we feel comfortable and safe that the system isn’t going to go down again."

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced plans to bolster airport air traffic control systems with the latest technology over the next four years, while also using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify "hot spots" where close encounters between aircraft occur frequently.

The announcement came after an update on an investigation into a crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, when a U.S. Army helicopter and an American Airlines-operated passenger jet collided over the Potomac River Jan. 29.

"We’re here because 67 souls lost their lives on Jan. 29," Duffy told reporters Tuesday, noting that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) unveiled its preliminary findings into the crash earlier in the day.

The findings noted that, over the last 2½ years, there have been 85 near misses or close calls at Reagan National. Close calls were identified as incidents when there are less than 200 feet of vertical separation and 1,500 feet of lateral separation between aircraft.

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Appearing shocked at the findings, Duffy questioned how the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) did not know about the "hot spot," where near misses happen frequently.

"We’re having near misses, and if we don’t change our way, we’re going to lose lives," he said. "That wasn’t done. Maybe there was a focus on something other than safety, but in this administration, we are focusing on safety."

The FAA has deployed AI tools to sift through data and find additional hot spots in U.S. airspace near airports to find similar situations to what has been happening at Reagan National.

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Once the hot spots are identified, Duffy’s team will implement changes to reduce the close encounters between aircraft.

Duffy also said he has learned that air traffic control systems across the country are 25 to 30 years old, and some of them even use floppy disks as if they were stuck in the 1980s.

While the system is antiquated, the secretary stressed it was safe. Despite the system being safe, Duffy said it needs to be upgraded.

"This should have happened four years ago, 10 years ago, 15 years ago," he said. "But, right now, we’re at a point where we can actually do it. And we can do it really fast."

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Duffy said the task could take up to four years to complete.

The job entails bringing in a brand-new air traffic control system, switching from copper wires to a combination of fiber, wireless and satellite systems.

The current radar system from the 1970s or early 1980s works, but Duffy wants to put state-of-the-art radar in place and terminals with the right screens and the best technology.

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"We’re going to deploy resources for runway safety — new technology that will allow our air traffic controllers not to use binoculars in the tower to see where aircraft are at, but to actually have ground radar sensors at our airports that will allow air traffic controllers to see where airplanes are at," he said. 

"We've heard a lot of new stories of just near misses on the tarmac. And how do you alleviate that? Take away the binoculars and give them technology so they can see on their screens where every aircraft is located.

"By doing this, we are going to greatly improve our safety in the system." 

Technology, on the other hand, is not cheap, which the secretary acknowledged.

In an environment in which the Department of Government Efficiency is looking for ways to cut costs and save money, Duffy explained making upgrades in the name of safety is worth the investment.

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Over the next couple of weeks, Duffy said, he plans to introduce his plan to Congress and take in their feedback.

Once he goes through the feedback, Duffy said he plans to return to Congress and ask for the money up front to expedite the process of upgrading the air traffic control systems.

"It’s not that the FAA didn’t want to do the upgrades," he said. "It just takes too long. So, they have to give us the money. We’re going to later lay out our plan to actually do it really quickly."

Current Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy slammed former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a post on X, accusing the Biden-era official of "mismanagement."

He leveled the criticism when responding to a post in which Buttigieg wrote, "The flying public needs answers. How many FAA personnel were just fired? What positions? And why?" 

Duffy responded, blasting Buttigieg.

"Mayor Pete failed for four years to address the air traffic controller shortage and upgrade our outdated, World War II-era air traffic control system. In less than four weeks, we have already begun the process and are engaging the smartest minds in the entire world," Duffy declared.

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Prior to serving in the Biden administration, Buttigieg served as the mayor of South Bend, Indiana.

"Here’s the truth: the FAA alone has a staggering 45,000 employees. Less than 400 were let go, and they were all probationary, meaning they had been hired less than a year ago. Zero air traffic controllers and critical safety personnel were let go," Duffy continued.

He accused Buttigieg of utilizing the Department of Transportation "as a slush fund for the green new scam and environmental justice nonsense," and claimed "that over 90% of the workforce under his leadership were working from home - including him. The building was empty!"

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"When we finally get a full accounting of his mismanagement, I look forward to hearing from him," he declared.

Buttigieg fired back, "At least one of the claims here (concerning telework rates) is demonstrably false, so forgive us for seeking more specifics on the rest. Is the Secretary claiming, and will he show, that none of the hundreds of FAA personnel he just fired were important to safety?"

In a post on Sunday, Duffy had indicated that individuals from SpaceX were slated to visit the Air Traffic Control System Command Center on Monday.

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"The safety of air travel is a non-partisan matter. SpaceX engineers will help make air travel safer," Elon Musk replied.