The FAA and TSA warn of record airport crowds, long security queues and potential weather-related disruptions as American air hubs brace for unprecedented Thanksgiving flight demand.
Washington: US airlines are gearing up for what is expected to be the busiest Thanksgiving travel period in history, adding extra aircraft and crews as the industry continues to recover from the prolonged government shutdown, air-traffic controller shortages and the threat of severe winter weather.
Airlines for America, the association representing major passenger and cargo carriers, estimates that 31 million passengers will travel between November 21 and December 1, setting a new Thanksgiving record. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says it will be the most demanding holiday travel stretch in 15 years, with more than 360,000 flights scheduled between Monday and next Tuesday alone.
Security wait times are also expected to surge. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) plans to screen 17.8 million passengers between November 25 and December 2, including a possible single-day record of more than 3 million on Sunday, December 1.
The country’s largest hub airports are projected to be under the most pressure. Atlanta, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas–Fort Worth, Charlotte and Denver are bracing for near-continuous traffic. Atlanta faces additional strain after a storm earlier this week forced an evacuation of its control tower, briefly halting operations at the world’s busiest airport.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy urged passengers to arrive early, keep travel alerts enabled and, in his words, “dress respectfully and treat each other with kindness amid packed cabins and frayed nerves.”
Airlines are still working to restore full schedules after shutdown-imposed capacity limits cut flight numbers and deepened existing controller shortfalls. Although the FAA says control towers will be adequately staffed, travel forecasts remain uncertain due to snow in the Pacific Northwest and Upper Midwest, heavy rain across Tennessee and the Northeast, sporadic technology glitches and tight fuel supplies at select airports.
Carriers warn that the true challenge will come on the return leg. Sunday, December 1, is expected to become the single busiest air-travel day of 2025, with most major domestic routes already sold out.
IANS
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