American Airlines expects to fly over 8 million people in the days leading up to and following Thanksgiving.
The carrier said Monday that it will operate around 85,000 flights between Nov. 19 and Dec. 1. During that time, an American flight will depart every 13 seconds, officials said.
Thanksgiving this year falls on Nov. 26.
American said it will operate 7,021 flights on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 29, making it the airline’s largest operating day since the COVID-19 pandemic.
At 11 a.m. Central Time on Nov. 20, 29, and 30, the carrier will have 1,130 flights operating simultaneously.
“Our team is ready for one of the busiest travel periods of the year, and we’re focused on delivering a safe, reliable operation so our customers can spend less time thinking about holiday travel and more time enjoying the holiday,” American Chief Operating Officer David Seymour said in a news release.
According to TSA data, the Sunday following Thanksgiving is often the busiest day of the year for air travel. The Tuesday and Wednesday preceding Thanksgiving also rank high, as do certain weekends in June and July.
