Traveling on Memorial Day? Chicagoans, fasten your seat belts and prepare for busy roads and airports.
This year's Memorial Day travel is expected to be the busiest since 2010, with more than 53,000 flights across the United States on Thursday and 50,000 on Friday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
O'Hare International Airport is expected to have more than 1.38 million passengers passing through the airport through Tuesday, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation. At Midway, the airline expects over 294,000 passengers during the same period.
Friday is expected to be the busiest day at both Chicago airports, according to the CDA, while Thursday is expected to be the busiest day nationally, the FAA said.
“This summer travel season is expected to be the busiest in years, and O'Hare and Midway are ready to welcome travelers from all over the world to Chicago,” CDA Director Jamie L. Lee said in a release. “There is,” he said.
TSA expects to screen more than 18 million travelers and airline crew members during the seven-day period starting Thursday, a 6.4% increase over last year.
“We intend to break these records this summer,” TSA Administrator David Pekoski said.
American Airlines Chief Operating Officer David Seymour said the airline is ramping up its workforce and technology in preparation for the busy seasonal period.
“It's a long summer, but we're preparing for it. We have the right resources,” he said.
Chicago-based United Airlines expects passenger numbers to be nearly 10% higher than last year as it heads into its biggest Memorial Day weekend, while Delta Air Lines expects passenger numbers to rise 5% this weekend as it kicks off its busiest summer schedule in international flying history.
As of 5:30 a.m. Thursday, only three cancellations had been reported at O'Hare and two at Midway, according to tracking site FlyChicago. The average delay at both airports was less than 15 minutes, the site said.
According to AAA, more than 38.4 million people across the country will be planning road trips, with about 2 million of those trips planned through Illinois.
AAA said this is the “largest Memorial Day outing” the agency has ever seen.
“We haven't seen Memorial Day weekend travel this strong in nearly two decades,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president at AAA Travel, said in a press release. “We are projecting 1 million more travelers over the holiday weekend compared to 2019. Not only does this exceed pre-pandemic levels, it also signals a very busy upcoming summer travel season.”
Transport data and insights website INRIX said drivers leaving on Thursday or Friday should plan to hit the roads early “to avoid mixing with commuter traffic”.
“Travellers returning home on Sunday or Monday should avoid the afternoon hours, which are the peak time for repatriation flights,” INRIX added.
Overall, travel times are expected to be up to 90 percent longer than normal, making Chicago one of the busiest metropolitan areas, INRIX said.
Travel from Milwaukee to Chicago on Interstate 94E is expected to hit “peak congestion” around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, according to INREX. The trip is expected to take about two hours and 25 minutes, about 27 percent longer than usual, INREX said.
The best and worst times to take a road trip on Memorial Day
According to INRIX, here are the best and worst times to travel by car over the holidays:
Thursday, May 23rd 12:00-18:00 Before 11:00 AM, after 7:00 PM Friday, May 24th 12:00-7:00 PM Before 11:00 AM, after 8:00 PM Saturday, May 25th 2:00 PM-5:00 PM Before 1:00 PM, after 6:00 PM Sunday, May 26th 3:00 PM-7:00 PM Before 1:00 PM Monday, May 27th 3:00 PM-7:00 PM After 7:00 PM
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