O’Hare among top 3 busiest airports as Labor Day travel surges

CHICAGO – Chicago’s O’Hare International is one of the three busiest airports on Thursday, with the other two being Atlanta and Dallas Fort Worth.

United and American Airlines predict that this will be the busiest Labor Day weekend on record, with Thursday being one of the peak travel days.

Chicago’s Department of Aviation reports that 1.44 million people will travel through O’Hare, marking the busiest Labor Day travel period ever, with a 10 percent increase over last year.

Midway will also see a surge in activity, welcoming 306,000 travelers over the next six days, a 3 percent increase compared to 2023.

The TSA is expected to screen 17 million passengers between Thursday and next Wednesday.

All summer holidays this year have seen increased travel numbers.

Some travelers are more experienced than others. 

“I have an electronic book, a regular book, I have snacks,” said Donna Wittert, who was ready to wait at the gate for her flight.

Her husband, Bill, said he passes the time by studying Italian and looking for people to practice with.

Triple A notes that the increase is primarily in domestic flights, while international travel is down for this period.

More travelers mean longer lines at the gate and more traffic at the airports, especially at curbside check-in.

Road travel is also expected to be crowded Thursday.