Are Airports Busier During Holidays? Which Days are the Busiest?

Generally, the busiest airport days tend to be during the holidays. This is usually because of the surge in travelers heading to various destinations to celebrate with their families or friends, particularly on Memorial Day or the 4th of July. There is an increase in passenger volumes during festivities like Christmas, Halloween, and Thanksgiving as well. To handle the increased number of passengers, most airports provide additional flights. Other measures like larger aircraft and direct itineraries are favored. However, congestion and delays can still be a problem during the high-demand season. Hence, understanding the dynamics of holiday travel can help one to easily navigate busy airports. 

What are the Busiest Airport Days of the Year? 

In general, airports get tramped up with travelers during the festive seasons. At times, long weekends can lead to busy travel days. Airfields can also be busy during certain national holidays every year. 

• 4th July 
• Memorial Day 
• Christmas 
• Thanksgiving
• New Year’s Day 
• Labor Day 

Are Airports Busier During the 4th of July? 

In comparison to other dates and holidays, airports are relatively less crowded during the 4th of July. Only 70% of the holiday crowd may be present here. However, the weekend leading up to July 04 constitutes the busiest days at the airports. This is usually the case with airfields in the US. This can mainly be observed at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). 

Are Airports Busy on Christmas Day? 

Most airfields encounter large passenger volumes throughout the week of Christmas until New Year. The air traffic increases by around 50.44% during this festival. To avoid such heavy crowds, passengers can fly before December 20 or after the New Year. 

• Chances of delays and cancellations are usually higher during this period. 
• However, holiday discounts and offers are extensively given at certain airfields. 
• These mainly include: 
  • Atlanta International Airport
  • Los Angeles International Airport
  • and O’Hare International Airport 

Which Airports are Busy on New Year’s Day? 

New Year can be the busiest airport day of the year in a few countries like the US, UK, and Australia. This is a peak travel period for the majority of international airfields that provide direct flights. 

• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) 
• Miami International Airport (MIA) 
• London Heathrow Airport (LHR) 
• Dubai International Airport (DXB) 
• Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) 
• Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) 

How Busy are Airports on Thanksgiving Day? 

Thanksgiving is a major holiday on which many citizens fly back to their homes. As a result, airports get quite crowded on this day. The majority of this crowd originates from airfields in the US. Around 50 million US fliers are expected to travel every year on this holiday. 

• The entire Thanksgiving week, usually from November 21 onward, is considered the busiest airport days of the year.  
• There will be a spike in the TSA and security wait times, extending up to hours. 
• Flights during this period cost 12% less than the standard prices. 
• New York, Los Angeles, Florida, and Orlando are the most visited destinations during Thanksgiving. 
• Hence, the airfields in the respective regions tend to be crowded.

What are the Busiest Airports During the Holidays? 

Most international airports feature an extensive number of flyers at the time of the holidays. In light of this, the airfields that are easily accessible tend to be relatively busier. In terms of the volume of flyers, the list can be narrowed down to the top 10. 

Which is the Busiest Day at Atlanta Airport? 

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is known to be the busiest during Labor Day. On this day, it may see a surge in fliers by around 2.4 percent. Most departures and arrivals take place between 08:00 A.M. and 12:00 P.M. 

• Memorial Day is also among the Atlanta Airport busiest days. 
• In early 2024, this day recorded the travel of the highest number of fliers, i.e. 111,000.
• To accommodate the increase in travelers, the airport offers extended TSA queue lines. 
• Extra security is employed as well for the handling of luggage. 

How to Travel During Holidays? 

Traveling during the holidays can get tricky due to the heavy inflow of flyers from various regions. It might also get difficult to reserve flights at these times. Hence, planning in advance is necessary for hassle-free journeys during the festive seasons. 

• Booking flight tickets at least 1 month prior can be helpful. 
• On the busiest airport travel days, services like TSA Pre Check or CLEAR can be used to avoid long waiting lines. 
• Prefer airports that offer more flights like Harry Reid International Airport. 
• Monitor the flight status and the conditions to stay informed of any delays/cancellations. 

To Conclude 

Indeed, airports tend to be busy during holidays like New Year and Christmas. Particularly when it is the festive time, they can invite a lot of flyers. Knowing the busiest days to travel, a flyer can wisely plan when to fly via the top airfields across the world.

Frequently Asked Question

0 0 votes

RATING

Label

Name*

Email*

RATING

Label

Name*

Email*

0 Comments

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Load More Comments