Houston airport officials expect 2024 to be the busiest Thanksgiving holiday period for air travel.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Officials expect a record 2.2 million passengers to pass through Houston airports during this year’s Thanksgiving travel period, which began Nov. 21 and ends Dec. 2.

Ten of these days are forecast to see a total of more than 175,000 travelers per day.

Of that number, they expect 1.7 million passengers to travel through George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and 500,000 to travel through William P. Hobby Airport (HOU). This is 2% more than in 2023 and 9% more than in 2022.

Experts say the busiest day for travel will be Sunday, December 1, with around 206,000 visitors. The second busiest was Friday, November 22, with 205,000 travelers; the third was on Sunday, November 24, with 200,000 passengers.

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Aisha Diaz, a spokeswoman for AAA, said they are noticing national changes as passengers travel during the Thanksgiving holiday.

“Now more people leave on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Many schools are closed on Wednesday. That’s why families with children leave on Tuesday, not Wednesday. Then instead of coming back on Sunday, they come back on Monday because Sunday traffic has historically been so bad,” Diaz said.

American, Delta and United Airlines also expect this year to be their busiest Thanksgiving travel period yet.

To ease congestion at Bush Airport, airport officials said they have partnered with the Houston Police Department and hired police officers from other agencies to help with traffic control. They said they have also hired 30 additional airport staff to work at IAH curbs from November 2023.

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Last Wednesday, an additional lane reopened on North Terminal Road at Bush Airport, creating four lanes of traffic. However, officials said travelers should still anticipate delays and arrive early.

For those still looking to book flights, the lowest numbers of passengers are forecast for Thanksgiving at 117,000 and Black Friday at 159,000.

If you plan to park your car at the airport, officials recommend booking online at least 12 hours in advance to secure your spot. You can also download the Houston Airports app to reserve parking and track TSA wait times.

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