More than 7.6 million travelers are expected to pass through Hartsfield-Jackson International during the busy spring break period already underway, according to airport officials.
The busiest day is expected to be this Friday, March 29, when more than 335,000 passengers will use the Atlanta airport.
That’s because many public schools in the state, including systems in Atlanta, DeKalb, Fulton, Clayton, Cobb, Gwinnett, Decatur, Marietta and Buford all have spring break April 1-5.
Many colleges have already had spring breaks, and the airport’s projection for 7.6 million passengers covers a lengthy period running from March 14 to April 7.
Airport officials are recommending travelers get to the airport at least 2.5 hours before domestic flights and 3 hours before international flights.
According to auto club AAA, 41% of Georgia residents plan to take a spring break vacation. The most popular destinations are the beach, followed by a city or major metro destination, theme park or resort vacation. The top state for spring break trips is Florida.
The Transportation Security Administration said before the national spring break rush in March that it was expecting a record number of travelers, with volumes up nearly 6% from last year.
Navigating Hartsfield-Jackson
Check out these updates and tips to ease your path through the world’s busiest airport:
Check live security wait times on Hartsfield-Jackson’s website at atl.com/times — but keep in mind that wait times vary significantly throughout the day. Packing items prohibited at TSA checkpoints can cause security screening delays. Check the TSA’s list of what items are allowed on its “What Can I Bring” webpage on tsa.gov If you’re planning to park at the airport, consider reserving a parking space in advance. Many airport and off-airport parking lots reach capacity during busy periods. You can reserve spaces at many off-airport parking lots through their websites, and at some airport-run lots and decks at myparkatl.com. The airport’s ATL West deck has resumed allowing the use of Peach Pass to pay for parking, though Peach Pass cannot be used for parking reservations.