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ATL Airport: Busiest day of the year
The travel rush continues with thousands upon thousands of people heading home after the Thanksgiving holiday. Sunday was expected to be one of the busiest travel days of the year at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. It comes at a time when the airport has closed one of its major parking decks for renovation.
ATLANTA - As the holiday weekend draws to a close, a surge of travelers is turning today into the busiest travel day of the entire week, particularly for those taking to the skies. The hustle and bustle at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport paints a vivid picture of the travel rush.
From the early hours of the morning, long lines have become the norm at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The lines snake through the check-in counters, extending into the atrium. Wait times were ranging from 45 to 50 minutes early Sunday morning.
Anticipating the surge, travel experts predicted a hectic day, and their predictions have come to fruition. A staggering 2.9 million people are expected to traverse the country today alone. This marks the pinnacle of a holiday travel week that began last Friday and will extend until this coming Tuesday, with an estimated 30 million travelers passing through security checkpoints.
Airport authorities reveal that this holiday season is witnessing the highest number of flyers since 2005. At Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, officials projected more than 3.6 million passengers to journey through the airport during this festive week.
Passengers, well aware of the expected chaos, expressed their preparedness for the travel rush, saying they expected the airport to be very busy.
Airline officials stress the importance of planning ahead, recommending passengers arrive at least two hours in advance for domestic flights. However, given the extensive lines witnessed today, an additional half-hour wouldn't hurt. Complicating matters, the closure of the South Economy Lot for parking is expected to have a ripple effect on other parking areas, adding to the challenges faced by holiday travelers.