Thanksgiving Week: LAX Expects to be 2nd Busiest U.S. Airport

A long line at LAX. | Photo: drewish/Flickr/Creative Commons License

More than 1.792 million passengers are expected to pass through Los Angeles International Airport over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period that begins Friday and ends November 26, airport officials estimated today.

The anticipated number of travelers is a slight increase over last year, according to airport officials. The busiest day of the travel period is expected to be the Sunday after Thanksgiving, November 25.

LAX is expected to be second only to Chicago-O'Hare International Airport in passenger volume, meaning passengers should anticipate heavy traffic at the airport and in the terminals, along with domestic flights that will be about 90 percent full -- or completely full on flights to popular destinations such as San Francisco, Las Vegas, Chicago, New York, and Boston, airport officials said.

Airport officials recommended that passengers arrive at the airport two hours early for domestic flights and three hours for international flights.