31 million people expected to fly over busiest Thanksgiving week ever - so pack your patience

Federal officials are preparing for what may be the "busiest Thanksgiving travel period on record" - and are warning travelers looking to head out of town.

The agency said it may need to actually slow down air traffic during the Thanksgiving holiday travel period due to air traffic controller shortages, and possible weather delays, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Roughly 31 million people are expected to fly over the Thanksgiving holiday period, according to the trade association Airlines for America.

FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said that slowdowns are most likely to occur in the New York area, where the agency has had trouble keeping up with demand for air traffic controllers.

“During the Thanksgiving travel period, we will use traffic flow management initiatives to deal with any staffing shortages on that particular day in this airspace, and we expect to have some of those shortages. So, we’re working diligently to make sure that that can operate as efficiently as possible,” Whitaker said at a Thursday press conference at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport just outside Washington DC.

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The agency is expecting November 26 — the Tuesday before Thanksgiving — to be its busiest travel day for air traffic. Whitaker said if the slowdowns are needed, they'll like happen that day and will be put in place to ensure travelers' safety.

“These initiatives keep the system safe, and people should know that safety is never at risk. If we are short on staff, we will slow traffic as needed to keep the system safe,” he said.

FAA data from May showed that it is still about 3,000 controllers short of its targets. In September, the agency announced it had hit its goal of hiring 1,800 controllers in 2024, but it's unclear how many controllers the agency will lose their year to attrition and retirements, according to CNN.

In addition to the staffing issue, the weather may also cause some disruptions to Thanksgiving air travel.

Whitaker said that the agency is "closely watching the weather, which is of course the biggest source of delays, and we'll do our best to work around that."

Travelers moving through Charlotte, North Carolina, may also run into slowdowns as service workers at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport strike for better pay and conditions.

The Transport Security Administration expects to screen 18.3 million travelers from Tuesday until December 3, a 6 percent increase over last year’s numbers.

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The TSA also warned that anyone trying to bring leftovers back with them should be sure what they're carrying is properly packed.

The agency said anything solid can go through a checkpoint, but if it a traveler can "spill it, spread it, spray it, pump it or pour it" and it's larger than 3.4 ounces, then it should be stored in a checked bag.

As always, it won’t just be the skies filled with holiday travelers, but America’s roads as well.

AAA predicts that approximately 80 million travelers will hit the road this week and drive 50 miles or more to make it to a celebration. That’s an increase of 1.7 million over last year’s travel numbers.

“Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year we’re expecting to set new records across the board, from driving to flying and cruising,” Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel, said in a statement. “Americans reconnect with family and friends over Thanksgiving, and travel is a big part of that. AAA continues to see travel demand soar post-pandemic with our members looking for new adventures and memorable vacations.”