Washington, Nov 26
American carriers are rolling out extra planes and crews as they prepare for the heaviest Thanksgiving air traffic in history, with the industry still recovering from the prolonged government shutdown, controller shortages, and incoming winter storms.

Airlines for America, an association of passenger and cargo carriers, forecasts that 31 million passengers will fly between November 21 and December 1, smashing every previous Thanksgiving record. The Federal Aviation Administration calls it the busiest holiday stretch in 15 years, with airlines scheduling over 360,000 flights from Monday through next Tuesday alone.

Security lines will feel the strain. The Transportation Security Administration plans to screen 17.8 million travellers from November 25 to December 2, including a potential single-day record of more than 3 million on Sunday, December 1.

The nation’s mega-hubs are all set to bear the brunt. Atlanta, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas–Fort Worth, Charlotte, and Denver are set for non-stop traffic, with Atlanta still recovering from this week’s storm-forced evacuation of its control tower, the world’s busiest airport, brought to a standstill for nearly an hour.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy urged flyers to arrive early, enable app alerts, and, in his words, “dress respectfully and treat each other with kindness” amid packed cabins and frayed nerves.

Carriers are scrambling to restore full schedules after shutdown-mandated caps slashed flights and worsened existing controller gaps.

Although the FAA insists towers will be adequately staffed, the system faces fresh threats: snow pounding the Pacific Northwest and Upper Midwest, heavy rain sweeping Tennessee and the Northeast, spotty technology glitches, and tight fuel supplies at some airports.

Airlines warn that the real test comes on the return leg. Sunday, December 1, is on track to become the single busiest air-travel day of 2025, with every available seat already booked on most major routes.

US airlines prepare for busiest Thanksgiving traffic in history