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Busiest travel season expected, and many of those fliers will go through Georgia

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Busiest travel season expected, and many of those fliers will go through Georgia

ATLANTA, Ga – U.S. air travel is all the way back from a decline during the pandemic, and then some – something to take note of on the Friday before Thanksgiving, one of the busiest days of the year for airlines.

“All 10 of our top busiest days in our 23 years have occurred since the 24th of May of this year,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said.

Many of those fliers will traverse the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the world’s busiest and one most Augusta fliers pass through, either because they drive to Atlanta to depart or else because they change planes there.

About 4.2 million travelers are expected to pass through the airport between Friday and Dec. 3. That would be the airport’s largest Thanksgiving travel season to date.

“I didn’t even realize it was supposed to be a super-busy day. I thought we were going early for the Thanksgiving holiday,” said flier Kimberli Green.

Luckily, the security checkpoint line moved quickly.

“I’m pretty excited it’s not too long,” Green said.

The short lines travelers saw Friday morning may not always be the case as the travel season continues. Plan to get to the airport at least two and a half hours before your domestic flight, or three hours if you’re flying internationally.

Many airlines close the door to the plane 10 to 15 minutes before departure, so you don’t want to be caught running through the airport to catch your flight.

The TSA believes it can keep screening times down to 30 minutes or less for standard passengers, and 10 minutes or less for those with pre-check.

Downtown Augusta

Pakoske said you can help yourself by making sure the bag you pack is empty to begin with, putting liquids exceeding the 3.4 ounce limit in your checked bag, and for any questions not covered on the TSA website, you can now text the agency.

“If you text, ask TSA, no spaces, you will get an answer back from us very quickly, with the same kind of questions like ‘Can I bring a turkey?’ for example,” Pakoske said. “Can I bring stuffing into the checkpoint operations for screening?”

The FAA continues to battle air traffic controller shortages, which have been responsible for delays for years. The agency believes shifting staff around and technological advancement can improve the situation.

“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,” FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker said.

Helene damage in Augusta

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wants travelers to know that the agency has secured additional protections for passengers over the past several years.

Pete Buttigieg: Department of Transportation Secretarybaggage, refunds for services not provided like wifi, or seat selection or in flight entertainment.”

The Department of Transportation anticipates Tuesday and Sunday will be the busiest travel days.

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