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Thanksgiving holiday travel takes off at the Atlanta airport

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Published  November 22, 2024 6:50am EST
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
FOX 5 Atlanta

Busy Thanksgiving travel season in Atlanta

Officials are forecasting this Thanksgiving travel period will be the busiest yet, and that means a lot of people passing through the world's busiest airport.

The Brief

    • A record number of people are projected to head through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport this Thanksgiving holiday, and Friday is set to be one of the busiest days.
    • Officials recommend travelers arrive at the airport two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international flights.
    • Airport leaders are increasing security after a rise in nearby car thefts.

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.

The Source

  • FOX 5 Atlanta's Brooke Zauner reported this story from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.