45.2 Million Americans Expected to Fly During the Holidays

December 8, 2016

Following a very busy Thanksgiving holiday that saw travel numbers hit a 9-year high, Airlines for America is forecasting that 45.2 million travelers are expected to hit the skies during the holiday travel period from Friday, Dec. 16 to Thursday, Jan. 5. Compared to 2015, this represents an increase of 3.5 percent, or 73,000 more passengers daily. In order to accommodate the increased demand, airlines are adding approximately 99,000 more seats per day.

Though travelers may be concerned about flight delays and cancellations during one of the busiest travel periods of the year, they can rest easy. During the Thanksgiving rush, airlines completed 99.4 percent of flights with 84.5 percent of flights arriving on time.

“Airlines’ concerted and well-coordinated efforts over Thanksgiving helped ensure the traditional holiday rush was as smooth as could be for fliers, resulting in shorter security wait times and higher on-time performance rates. We expect to see much of the same this winter holiday travel season,” said Airlines for America Vice President and Chief Economist John Heimlich.

The busiest days of the 21-day peak travel period are expected to be Thursday, Dec. 22 and Friday, Dec. 23. Unsurprisingly, Dec. 24 and 25, as well as Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, should be the lightest travel days of the holiday season. Volumes will vary greatly over the holiday season, as airlines may carry from 1.8 million on the slowest days to 2.4 million passengers on the busiest days. Throughout the year, airlines in the United States transport an average of 2.2 million passengers each day.

To help travelers choose which airports will be best for their trips, Airlines for America has ranked the 10 busiest airports during the holidays.

10 Busiest Airports for Holiday Travel

1. Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
2. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
3. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
4. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
5. Denver International Airport (DEN)
6. Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
7. Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
8. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
9. San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
10. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)