TSA reports they scanned 2.4 million passengers on Wednesday, as folks headed to their holiday destinations.
Officials believe that Sunday could bring larger crowds as people head back home. They anticipate crowds that could exceed 2.5 million, which is currently the single-day record since the start of the pandemic which was reached on July 1, 2022.
Similar traffic may be seen in local airports.
"As a result, because of the number of seats, Saturday will also be full. I'd say overall we're over 90% load factors most days for just about all of the airlines," said Mike Stewart, Executive Director of the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport.
Andrew LaGala with Lynchburg Regional Airport thinks this trend will continue.
"System-wide, flights are anticipated to be at or near full this holiday travel season, particularly on their peak travel days. But American is operating four flights, approximately 400 seats in and out of Lynchburg most days, pretty much for the rest of the year.
If you're traveling, officials ask that you be patient and allow yourself extra time getting to the airport and through security as they accommodate crowds.