North Texas Airports Being Put To The Test Ahead Of Thanksgiving Day

DFW AIRPORT (CBSDFW.COM) — Today North Texas airports will be put to the test during an expected Thanksgiving holiday travel surge.

Four million Texans are expected to travel. According to AAA Texas, that's nearly pre-pandemic levels.

Both Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) and Dallas Love Field Airport reflect the same, expecting about 95% of the travel volume they had in 2019.

Experts say it's pent up demand from a tough 2020, but also comfort from vaccines that have helped the industry bounce back.

"We are seeing travelers eager to get back out there, feeling comfortable hitting the skies again and traveling to see loved ones for the holidays," said Lindsay Schwimer, a Consumer Travel Expert with Hopper.

Hopper collects data from airports nationwide, and tells CBS 11 News, DFW Airport is expected to be the second busiest in the U.S. this Thanksgiving week.

They calculate Wednesday, November 24 and Sunday, November 28 to be the busiest days to fly.

Schwimer believes this is just the start of what's expected to be a busy holiday season over the next few months. "We were expecting a busy travel season. On Hopper we saw a 105% increase in searches over just the past month alone, just on holiday travel," he said.

Nationwide, TSA Checkpoint numbers are consistently hitting 2 million people per day.

It's a gage many folks are ready to make up for lost time.

"We love it!" said traveler Tiffany Jasper-Jones. "We are going to meet our family in San Diego, and spend some time in the mountains! So we are excited."