DFW Airport braces for record-breaking holiday travel rush

NORTH TEXAS — DFW International Airport is preparing for a record-breaking number of travelers this holiday season, with 4.7 million passengers expected from Dec. 20 to Jan. 7. Friday, Dec. 20, is anticipated to be the busiest day, with more than 265,000 customers.

To avoid the traffic nightmare seen on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the airport has implemented several traffic control measures:

• Extra officers will patrol terminal roadways, curbs, and garages to manage traffic flow and enforce curbside rules.
• Temporary barriers and signage have been installed to redirect traffic in congested areas, particularly at Terminals B and C.
• New rideshare traffic plans are in place, and more overflow parking options have been added.
• All roadway construction will be temporarily halted during peak travel times to minimize disruptions.

“Well, we try to stay home at Christmas time and not travel, but we knew this was going to happen, so we’re 3.5 hours early for our flight to make sure that we were able to get through and keep patience, especially traveling with so many people,” said Ashley Novian Hodgson, who was flying from DFW Airport to New York City with her family.

As of 5:30 p.m. on Friday, the traffic didn’t seem as bad as what travelers experienced on Dec. 1, when people either waited hours in their cars to get to a terminal or were forced to walk about a mile to make their flights.

“It’s not so bad,” said Dilip Daswani, who was flying to Calgary on Friday. “It’s crowded, but it’s not too bad.”

DFW Airport expects to see the most congestion in the evenings and on weekends throughout the holiday travel period. They encourage travelers to arrive early, take public transit when possible, use express and remote lots, and follow curbside rules.

Caroline Vandergriff

Caroline Vandergriff joined the CBS 11 News team in September 2019. She grew up in Arlington (go Lamar Vikings!), and is thrilled to be back home in North Texas.