Posted on 11/19/2007 4:43:52 PM PST by Cecily
Plan ahead. Arrive early. Expect crowds.
That's the advice from officials at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport — the world's busiest — where things will be even busier this Thanksgiving holiday rush than a year ago.
Airport officials say projections indicate about 4.6 percent more fliers will pass through the Atlanta airport over the next week or so than they did in the same period in 2006. About 1.7 million passengers traveled through the airport last year during the Thanksgiving holidays. Among those crowding the concourses this year: "Today" co-host Meredith Viera, who'll broadcast live Tuesday morning from Hartsfield-Jackson.
The airport rush begins on Tuesday, subsides somewhat on Thanksgiving Day and then picks back up for a concourse-packed finale Sunday and Monday, when returning holiday travelers cross paths with road warriors taking off for business appointments.
"Wednesday will probably be the heaviest traffic day this week, with next Monday topping even that," said Hartsfield-Jackson spokesman Herschel Grangent.
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines and Orlando-based AirTran Airways, both of which have their biggest hubs at Hartsfield-Jackson, have added workers to cope with crowds. Transportation Security Administration officials say they will keep all security checkpoints fully staffed during the heaviest traffic times in an attempt to minimize wait times.
"It's an all-hands-on-deck situation," said Atlanta-based TSA spokesman Jon Allen.
The TSA, which has come under recent criticism for non-holiday delays at Hartsfield-Jackson, generally kept security waits during the 2006 Thanksgiving travel season to 20 minutes or less.
(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...
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