Travelers pack Atlanta airport for busy Thanksgiving travel day

ATLANTA - The world’s busiest airport lived up to the name as millions of people flew to visit family members Wednesday — despite guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stay put this Thanksgiving.

Travel experts expect Wednesday to be the second busiest travel day for the holiday, doctors are concerned the millions of people up in the air on flights will assist the spread of COVID-19.

The steady stream of cars at Hartsfield-Jackson airport’s departures and arrivals are a clear indication that people are determined to see their loved ones. They’d even risk a deadly virus for quality time.

”I’m a student. If I didn’t come here I’d be spending the holidays alone,” Lauren Yancey told FOX 5’s Alex Whittler.

She says her family plans to social distance and wear masks on the big day.

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Lashauna Sloan came to Atlanta from Florida. She says the airport was a breeze, but the flight was not.

“It was packed,” Sloan said.

Michael Washington wasn’t satisfied with social distancing efforts on his flight either.

”The social distancing is very hard to do. Our plane was packed,” he said. “In a row of four, there was someone in each seat."

Hartsfield-Jackson has signs in all lines to encourage social distancing, but the CDC says Thanksgiving gatherings could be super spreader events.

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Yancey says she’s not taking chances at the airport or at her loved one’s home:

“I plan to get a COVID test today and if it’s positive, I’ll quarantine,” she said.

AAA estimates 2.4 million people will fly this Thanksgiving week.

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