Thanksgiving holiday travel takes off at the Atlanta airport

ATLANTA - As the Thanksgiving holiday gets closer, the Atlanta airport is ready for record-breaking crowds.

Officials at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport project that Friday will be the busiest day of the Thanksgiving travel rush, which is set to be the busiest yet.

Airport officials estimate that more than 4.2 million passengers will travel through the airport from Nov. 21 through Dec. 3. On Friday alone, the airport expects about 373,000 passengers. 

The Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving will see a similar rush.

Jordan Biegler, the assistant general manager of operations at Hartsfield-Jackson, told FOX 5 earlier this week that the airport is prepared to handle the holiday rush.

"We stand ever ready to serve our guests here at the world’s busiest and most efficient airport," Biegler said.

Travelers are being urged to plan ahead, especially when it comes to parking. Airport officials warn that parking lots could reach capacity at peak times. 

Airport leaders are also upping security after a concerning rise in car thefts. In the first 10 months of the year, 301 vehicles were stolen from the airport -  more than triple the number in all of 2023. On average, that works out to about one theft a day.

Airport officials advise travelers to arrive at least two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight.

TSA staff are working to get people through screening lanes in less than 30 minutes for standard screening lanes and less than 10 minutes for those with TSA PreCheck.

You can find information on security wait times here and parking availability here.