Airport crowds projected to grow 2.5% for Thanksgiving holiday

Expect bigger crowds and longer lines when you fly to visit friends and family during the Thanksgiving holiday.

A trade group for the nation’s biggest airlines predicted Wednesday that 27.3 million people will fly on U.S. carriers during the Thanksgiving holiday period, a 2.5% increase over last year’s record 26.6 million fliers. It is expected to be the highest number of fliers ever to travel for the holiday.

Airlines for America attributes the increase partly to air fares that have dropped 5.6% during the first nine months of the year compared to the same period last year.

Fares have declined, according to industry experts, because of lower fuel costs, competition from ultra low-cost carriers such as Spirit Airlines and efforts by major carriers to squeeze more economy seats into each cabin.

Los Angeles International Airport is expected to be the nation’s second busiest airport, behind Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Although more than two dozen major construction projects are underway at LAX, airport officials plan to impose a construction moratorium from Nov. 21 to Nov. 28.

The busiest travel day is expected to be the Sunday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, followed by the Monday after the holiday, according to Airlines for America.

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