Travelers should plan ahead for heavy traffic, crowds and lines at the world's busiest airport over Memorial Day weekend, Hartsfield-Jackson International officials warned.
Nearly 2 million passengers are expected to pass through the Atlanta airport from Thursday May 23 through Tuesday May 28, according to airport officials. The busiest day will be Friday, though Thursday and Monday will also bring heavy crowds.
Memorial Day weekend is one of the busiest periods of the year at the Atlanta airport, and marks the start of the summer travel season.
TIP: Travelers should get to the terminal at least 2 hours and 15 minutes before a domestic flight departure.
The Transportation Security Administration’s federal security director for Hartsfield-Jackson, Mary Leftridge Byrd, said passengers should allow extra time for traffic on local roads and highways on the way to the airport.
Byrd said travelers should get to the terminal 2 hours before their airline closes the airplane doors -- which is sometimes 15 minutes before the actual departure -- to allow enough time to get through the airport, clear security and get to the gate for boarding.
Airline and airport officials recommend getting to the terminal three hours before an international flight.
The total number of passengers expected to pass through security checkpoints over the full Memorial Day travel period from Thursday to Tuesday is slightly lower than last year. But travelers should still be prepared for crowds.
TIP: The Friday before Memorial Day is expected to be one of the Atlanta airport’s busiest days on record, with a forecast for 93,000 passengers going through security.
Thursday and Monday will also be crowded, with 87,000 passengers expected at security checkpoints on each of those days.
TSA is increasing workers’ overtime to meet the demand, with airport and airline staff also helping to direct passengers.
At the international terminal, TSA now has two Computer Tomography X-ray scanners that allow passengers to keep laptops and iPads in bags. Not all the lanes have the new scanners. Passengers will be notified if they can keep their laptops and iPads in their bags.
To reduce delays at security checkpoints, Byrd recommended travelers check their carry-on bags before coming to the airport for any prohibited items such as guns or knives.
TIP: In addition to checking their own carry-on bags for prohibited items, parents should check their children’s bags for anything they packed that might get caught at security checkpoints, such as beverages or other large bottles of liquids.
Hartsfield-Jackson general manager John Selden said travelers should be prepared for congestion in the terminal and on airport roads.
The airport is in the middle of a major construction project in front of Delta’s check-in area at Terminal South, closing off outer lanes and slowing traffic during busy periods.
For the Memorial Day holiday period, the airport is halting construction that closes Terminal South roadways overnight. But the outer lanes where equipment is stationed will remain closed throughout the weekend, so travelers should still be prepared for roadway congestion.
TIP: Airport officials recommend travelers consider using the lower level of Terminal North for pickups and dropoffs.
Selden also noted that travelers should continue to be vigilant about security and report anything unusual they see at the airport by calling 911. The airport has a 911 center at its Centralized Command and Control Center.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s acting director of the Center for Preparedness and Response, Nancy Messonnier, said travelers should be aware when traveling amid the nation’s worst measles outbreak in 25 years.
Measles is “also spreading globally,” Messonnier said.
TIP: Anyone who is traveling internationally this summer should make sure they are vaccinated for measles at least two weeks before departure, Messonnier said.
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