Atlanta airport prepares for busy Labor Day travel weekend
Flight attendants wearing protective masks walk through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Wednesday, April 7, 2021. (Photographer: Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
ATLANTA - Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is preparing for a busy travel weekend as people head out for Labor Day vacations.
Officials at the world's busiest airport say more than 1.6 million passengers are expected to travel to, from, or through the Atlanta airport starting on Sept. 1 to Sept. 6.
The airport's projections estimate that Friday will be its busiest day with more than 300,000 passengers traveling for the holiday.
Officials suggest that travelers arrive at the airport at least two hours before their departure time and keep a lookout on Hartsfield-Jackson's social media for the latest information.
Passengers should also make sure they don't include anything prohibited in their luggage and belongings so that they don't get stuck at the TSA checkpoints. All the regulations you need to know are available on the "What Can I Bring?" page on TSA.gov.
And if you're heading out, be sure to bring some patience along as well. According to the deal-finding travel website Hopper, an average of 23% of flights in August have been delayed at U.S. airports - an increase of 28% compared to the same time pre-pandemic.
According to Hopper, Atlanta's airport has seen around 25% of departing flights delayed and 1.4% of flights canceled. The busiest time to depart is 10 p.m.