The Busiest U.S. Airports At Thanksgiving

Midwest Airport at Chicago

After a feast of turkey, stuffing and sweet potato, Americans who had to travel for the Thanksgiving weekend will be thinking about their return trips with a sense of trepidation.

Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest long-distance travel periods of the year with the AAA predicting that 50.9 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home this year, an increase of 3.3 percent on last year.

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Trade association Airlines for America also estimated that 28.5 million passengers would travel on U.S. airlines over the 12-day Thanksgiving travel period, also up three percent.

Holiday gridlock on the interstate is infuriating but so too are the long lines at U.S. airports.

This year, new security screening procedures require travellers to remove all electronic items larger than a cellphone from their carry-on, a move which is likely to make those lines even longer.

That begs the question: which airports have been the busiest during the holiday period and which ones are best to avoid?

Total departing passengers at U.S. airports in Thanksgiving week in 2017

Statista