Gerald R. Ford International Airport prepared for busiest travel day

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Today has been dubbed the busiest travel day of the year in the United States.

Millions of Americans are expected to hit the roads or skies to spend time with family and friends for the holidays.

At Gerald R. Ford International Airport, lines started ramping up early into Wednesday morning.

AAA is projecting this year to be the third busiest for Thanksgiving travel since they started tracking these numbers back in 2000.

49 million Americans will be traveling by car according to AAA.

If you plan on flying to your Thanksgiving destination, be ready for some longer lines at TSA.

"We are asking people to come to hours prior to their scheduled departure to the airport," said Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority Chief Operating Officer Alex Peric. "This will give plenty of time for folks to find a parking spot check in with their airline, get through the TSA checkpoint, maybe grab a bite to eat or a cup of coffee, and then on to their flight," he said.
Gerald R. Ford International Airport said they expect to welcome more than 75,000 guests for Thanksgiving travel.

They added their peak travel days are November 22 thru November 28.

"The airport is very prepared for this holiday rush. We train for this holiday rush throughout the year, especially when, you know we see weather in the forecast. We are fully staffed to meet the passenger demands and the high numbers we're seeing those numbers being equal to pre-pandemic levels," said Peric.

The airport said passengers can come best prepared by arriving early and reading airline requirements ahead of time. You can also download the 'GRR Airport' app for TSA wait times and/or updated flight information.

Travelers are asked to contact individual airlines with any additional questions.