Houston airports expected to see record 2.4 million passengers this Thanksgiving, officials say

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It's one of the busiest travel weeks of the year, and the Houston Airport System says they're expecting record-breaking numbers in travelers this Thanksgiving.

The video above is from ABC13's Live Streaming Channel.

Things have been busy on the tarmac, in the check-in area, and outside in the arrivals pick-up spots.

As we go into Thanksgiving week and your loved ones are flying in, or you're flying out, the representatives at the airport want to make sure you prepare yourself for the backups you may face, especially if you're heading to the big airport that remains under construction.

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"Traffic is looking crazy. I don't know, it will probably take a couple of hours to get home," traveler Caesar Ghibli said.

Ghibli flew to Houston to spend the holiday with his mom. He says he frequents George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

"All this right here usually is breezing, like it usually goes through, so I'm kind of scared to see what it looks like once we finally get out of the airport," Ghibli said.

A new international terminal and a baggage handling system has been under construction at the big airport for a while near terminals C, D and E.

Contractors are working to complete the project, but airport officials said it will not be finished until late 2025.

Some are growing frustrated as the airport gets a face-lift and works to minimize impacts on traffic flow.

"I usually get out of here faster - that's for sure," said a ride-share driver who spoke to ABC13.

Another ride-share driver at IAH tells ABC13 he had been in traffic for 45 minutes.

Some travelers say they have yet to see travel traffic this bad before.

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The travel rush at Houston's airports is a welcome sight, but the crowds and bottlenecks that are delaying travelers from getting to terminals even caught the airport system off guard, as our partners at the Houston Chronicle first reported.

Airport representatives are urging people to add an extra hour to their usual arrival time at Bush Airport.

"Way worse," driver Joe Rasmussen said. "A little worse, it's terrible."

Airport officials say they're getting ready to welcome 2.4 million passengers at both airports between this past Thursday, Nov. 16 and Tuesday, Nov. 28.

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