November 27, 2024

Thanksgiving travel rush expected to break records

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Analysts are predicting another record-breaking travel year this Thanksgiving.

AAA says about 80 million people will travel for the holiday, which is higher than the pre-pandemic record.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says it expects to screen 2.9 million people Wednesday and more than three million people on Sunday.

 “These will likely be some of the busiest travel days in U.S. history,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.

Forecasters aren’t expecting weather to delay flights Wednesday. However, rain and snow in the east could slow some traffic on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chief says air traffic controllers have alternatives.

 “We’ll do our best to work around that,” FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker said.

Adding to possible delays are air traffic controller shortages.

Earlier this week, flights in the New York area were delayed for 90 minutes to two hours because of them.

 “If we are short on staff, we will slow traffic as needed to keep the system safe,” Whitaker said.

Even if things are running smoothly at airports, getting there may take some time.

On the roads, AAA says nearly 72 million people will travel by car this year, which is 1.3 million more than last year.

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