Nearly 20 Million Expected to Fly During Thanksgiving Week — Airports Braced for Record Crowds

Nearly 20 million people are expected to travel by air during Thanksgiving week as federal agencies prepare for one of the busiest holiday periods in more than a decade.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) published its 2025 Thanksgiving-week forecast projecting 19.3 million passengers will fly during the seven-day period beginning Monday and ending Sunday. DOT identifies Friday as the single busiest day, with an expected 2.472 million travelers. Return-traffic projections show 2.422 million flyers on Saturday and 2.395 million on Sunday.

DOT also projects heavy travel in the days surrounding the holiday: 2.408 million on Monday, 2.416 million on Tuesday, 2.403 million on Wednesday and 2.401 million on Thanksgiving Day.

"USDOT is working to get you to your loved ones safely and efficiently. Happy Thanksgiving!" the Department of Transportation wrote on X.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) issued its own forecast, estimating it will screen more than 17.8 million travelers from Tuesday through Dec. 2 and warning that it could screen over 3 million passengers on the busiest single day: Sunday.

"We are projecting that the Sunday after Thanksgiving will be one of the busiest travel days in TSA history," acting TSA Deputy Administrator Adam Stahl said. "Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem, America is entering a Golden Age of Travel as record numbers of holiday travelers are taking to the skies."

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) expects the busiest Thanksgiving holiday week in 15 years, forecasting more than 360,000 flights across an eight-day period beginning Monday and ending Dec. 1. Flight activity is forecast to peak on Tuesday (52,185 flights). Ahead of the holiday, the FAA projects 48,173 flights on Monday and 50,130 on Wednesday.

On Thanksgiving Day itself, scheduled flights drop to 25,611 before increasing in the days after the holiday: 41,560 flights expected Friday, 46,288 on Saturday, 51,268 on Sunday and 49,676 on Dec. 1.

"Thanks to the dedication of our air traffic controllers and every FAA employee, we are ready for the holiday rush and take pride in helping travelers reach their friends and families during this important time of year," FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said. "I am deeply grateful to our entire FAA team. Even through a period of record-high traffic, their unwavering commitment keeps the system running safely."

DOT and TSA projections differ somewhat, and officials from both agencies were contacted for clarification on the discrepancy. Travelers should expect crowded airports and longer lines throughout the week.

Travel tips: Check your flight status before leaving for the airport, arrive early (at least two hours for domestic flights), consider TSA PreCheck or mobile boarding passes where available, and allow extra time for parking and security screening.