Holiday travel headaches could loom as FAA warns it might need to slow down air traffic

That will be especially true if your flight takes you to, from, or through the Northeast. The FAA has had trouble filling air traffic controller posts, which could result in slowdowns of air traffic.

“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,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said last week.

Tuesday is expected to be the busiest day for air traffic. In addition to the controller shortage, weather in the area could slow things down as well. New York is expecting rain on Tuesday and Thursday. The FAA says the slowdowns will ensure safe travel.

AAA expects 80 million people will be on the road for Thanksgiving this year, and the Transportation Safety Administration has said it expects to screen 18.3 million people at airports from Tuesday, Nov. 26 to Monday, Dec. 2.

The busier-than-usual holiday comes after a busier-than-usual year. Passenger volumes have hit record highs in 2024, increasing 17% since 2022. All 10 of the busiest travel days in the TSA’s history have occurred this year, officials say. July 7 currently stands as the busiest day on record.

The TSA’s estimates could be conservative, too. Airlines for America, a trade group for the airline industry, estimates 31 million passengers will be on planes this Thanksgiving period, a 2 million-person increase from last year.