ATL predicts over 4 million travelers for Thanksgiving holiday
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Travelers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Photo: Courtesy of Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The world's busiest airport says it expects to see more than four million travelers throughout the Thanksgiving holiday period.
Why it matters: Pack your patience and arrive at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at least two and a half hours in advance for domestic flights and three hours before international travel.
Driving the news: The Thanksgiving "travel surge" runs through Dec. 2, and airport general manager Ricky Smith said in a news release that his team "is focused on moving everyone safely, smoothly and with the level of service they expect from the world's busiest and most efficient airport."
Zoom in: ATL projects its upcoming peak travel days will be Sunday, Nov. 30 and Monday, Dec. 1, with more than 375,000 expected to move through Hartsfield-Jackson on the latter date.
The big picture: AAA predicts close to 82 million people will travel 50 miles or more for Thanksgiving between Tuesday, Nov. 25 and Monday, Dec. 1.
- About 73 million will travel by car — 1.8 million more than last year.
- The FAA has lifted the flight restrictions imposed during the shutdown, and more than 6 million Americans are expected to fly domestically for Thanksgiving — more than the 5.8 million who flew last year.
- Other modes of transportation (like buses and trains) will be used by 2.5 million people, also a little higher than last year's 2.3 million.
State of play: For drivers, the Georgia Department of Transportation said it will suspend planned lane closures on interstates, state routes and roads near major shopping centers starting 5am Wednesday through 10pm Sunday, Nov. 30.
- GDOT expects traffic congestion will be typical Monday afternoon, but the heavier-than-normal traffic is projected for noon to 6pm Tuesday and Wednesday, and 5–8pm Sunday.
- Best travel days? Thanksgiving and Black Friday, according to GDOT.
The fine print: GDOT notes the night of Saturday, Nov. 29 "poses a higher risk for crashes," so keep your eyes on the road and avoid distractions.
What we're watching: Expect to see a few men and women sporting those baby blue button-downs doing extra patrols on the interstates throughout the week.