A total of 47.5 million passengers will fly globally on U.S. airlines during the 18-day winter holiday travel period, according to Airlines for America (A4A).
The period lasts from Dec. 19 to Jan. 5.
The busiest travel days are expected to Dec. 20, 21, 26, and 27, while the lightest travel days are expected to be Dec. 24, 25, and 31.
An average of 2.6 million passengers will fly daily, 3 percent more than a year ago, although daily volumes will range from 2.2 million to 3 million.
Airlines will offer 884 more daily flights than normal and 88,000 additional seats daily to accommodate the additional passengers.
“Throughout this year, we’ve seen steady gains in air travel demand, and this winter will be no exception,” John Heimlich, A4A vice president and chief economist, said. “Buoyed by a healthy economy and plentiful, affordable air service, travelers once again are expected to take to the skies in record numbers.”
During the Thanksgiving travel period, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened a record of more than 26 million passengers and crew.
The TSA screened more than 2.8 million passengers on Dec. 1, the most in agency history.
Wait times for checkpoint lines averaged less than 30 minutes nationwide for 99.8 percent of passengers, the TSA said.