Holiday travel 2023: Atlanta's airport sees busiest travel day of the season
Busy holiday travel day of season in Atlanta
More than 300,000 travelers will move through the airport Friday. That's by no means a record, but it’s still a day of hectic holiday travel as folks are on the move for one final getaway this year. Nationally, it is the busiest travel day of the Christmas holiday season.
ATLANTA - From the security checkpoint to airline check-in, travelers have packed up and are heading out for the holidays.
"I'm utterly surprised because I thought that the lines would be over two hours long," said Pamela Jackson. "So, I am thrilled that I get to go right through."
It's a tale of two Christmases at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Last year, winter weather in other parts of the country caused delays and cancelations, especially for Southwest Airlines passengers. This year, the skies have cleared, and security lines are short.
The main security checkpoint can be a chokepoint this time of year as travelers catch flights, but on Friday, the process to get screened was as smooth as butter.
Airport staff redirected passengers to different checkpoints throughout the day. When the main checkpoint line got long, they would send passengers to either the North or Lower North Checkpoints to make sure all the lines stayed short.
"It helps their holiday, helps them get through security faster," said Steve Mayers with Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. "It helps them to experience the airport and get to the flight. So, that barrier becomes less."
With Christmas cheer on full display, the airport expects roughly 327,000 travelers to move through Friday, but as some people learned, the lines do not reflect that number.
Despite the lack of a line, the airport still recommends you arrive early because things can change quickly.
The TSA says the max wait Friday has been about 15 minutes.