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CHICAGO (WLS) — As the festive season approaches, throngs of travelers hit the roads and airports, eager to reunite with family and friends. This weekend, both highways and airways are bustling with activity.
This year promises to set a new benchmark for the number of people journeying during the holidays.
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The American Automobile Association (AAA) warns that the peak congestion time will be from 1 to 7 p.m. on Sunday. At Chicago O’Hare International Airport, an influx of travelers is expected as the holiday movement gains momentum.
On Sunday alone, over 263,000 passengers will pass through O’Hare, contributing to the record-breaking travel figures observed nationwide during this festive period.
Jeff Brown, a traveler, shared, “We’re heading to France for Christmas and will stay through the new year. Instead of gifts, we’re creating memories.”
“I’m going to Cairo, Egypt,” traveler Talal Awartani said. “I’m going to see my family and attend my cousin’s wedding… on Christmas Day.”
According to the Chicago Department of Aviation, air travel between both of Chicago’s airports is expected to be up 6% compared to the same period last year.
But it’s not just the skies that are busy, so too are the roads. In Illinois alone, some 5.7 million people will be hitting the tollways between now and January 1.
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“Yet again, we’ve done it,” AAA spokesperson Molly Hart said. “Whether it was thanksgiving, for Christmas and year end, we are breaking records. People are getting on the planes, getting on the road and taking other modes of transportation.”
The good news is, despite the long lines and the crowds, delays at O’Hare Sunday were kept at a minimum, averaging only 15 minutes, with very few cancellations being reported.
For one young family off to London, that news was music to their ears.
“First time with our 15-month old, taking the longest trip that he’s ever taken so far,” traveler Ami Modi said.
While Sunday was the busiest air travel day at O’Hare, at Midway Airport, otherwise known as the “busiest square mile in aviation,” crowds aren’t expected to peak until December 27. Either way, allowing plenty of time and patience will be key over the next two weeks.
