The Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday that it is gearing up for the busiest time of air travel of the year with the Thanksgiving holiday — but also shared that it predicts this will be the busiest travel period in the last 15 years.
The FAA said in a release that there are more than 360,000 flights across the country this Thanksgiving holiday travel season. The organization expects Tuesday, Nov. 25, to be the busiest day of the nine-day travel period, with 52,000 flights that day alone.
The busy travel time comes just after the federal government shutdown ended earlier this month and impacted air travel.
The FAA lifted all shutdown-related flight restrictions on Monday, after announcing a 4% flight reduction in 40 major airports during the lapse in funding. There were concerns that air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration employees working without pay could begin to take time off and cause delays at airports.
The concerns about air safety ahead of the holiday travel season were a major pressure point for lawmakers to reopen the government.
“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 in a statement. “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.”
The FAA said air traffic controllers will use a “variety of strategies” to help move flights safely.
The organization urges travelers to check out its holiday travel page, with information about how to plan ahead and pack safely.
“Remember to be patient, be kind and follow crewmember instructions,” the FAA’s statement concluded.