U.S. airlines will transport a record number of people this holiday season, according to predictions from trade group Airlines For America.
A4A estimates that around 52.6 million passengers will fly with a U.S. carrier between Dec. 19 and Jan. 5, 2026, a 1.5% increase from last year’s holiday period. To meet the demand, airlines are offering about 72,000 more seats per day than the 2024-25 season.
The trade group expects the busiest travel days to be Friday, Dec. 19; Saturday, Dec. 20; Sunday, Dec. 21; Friday, Dec. 26; and Sunday, Dec. 28. Wednesday, Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve); Thursday, Dec. 25 (Christmas Day); Wednesday, Dec. 31 (New Year’s Eve); and Thursday, Jan. 1 (New Year’s Day) are expected to be the lightest.
Airlines For America said its members are prepared for the rush.
“Another record holiday travel period is on the horizon, and U.S. airlines are ready to get you and your packages to destinations across the country and around the world,” A4A President and CEO Chris Sununu said in a statement. “We have more than one million men and women working across the industry to connect people and deliver presents to locations big and small.”
About 31 million people took a flight during the Thanksgiving travel period last month, setting a new record for the holiday. According to TSA data, Nov. 30, the Sunday following Thanksgiving, was the busiest travel day of the year so far, with 3.1 million passengers screened.
The surge in traffic came despite lingering concerns about the 43-day federal government shutdown, which was resolved just weeks before Thanksgiving Day. There were no significant air traffic control-related problems during the week, though some flights were held up or canceled due to repairs on Airbus A320-family aircraft.
