These airports experience the largest increase in holiday traffic

The holidays are a popular time to visit friends and family or take a vacation, increasing airport traffic. With air travel continuing to break records—like June 28, when the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened 3 million people—it’s helpful to know the most crowded airports before planning a trip. 

Luxury Link analyzed data from the TSA to determine which airports experience the most considerable increase in holiday travel. Here are the results.

What the Luxury Link study says

Luxury Link analyzed data from the TSA’s FOIA Electronic Reading Room, and compared the change in airports’ holiday traffic compared to the rest of the year. The holiday season comprised Thanksgiving — the Friday before through the Monday after — and the winter holiday period — the Friday before Christmas week through January 2nd. The final results were based on 2022 and 2023 data to avoid confusion with pandemic downturns. 

The study found larger airports experience the most significant increase during the holidays, with a 7.2% boost. Medium hubs followed, rising 6.2%, with small hubs increasing 4.5%. Non-hub primary airports grew by 1.5%, while non-hub, non-primary airports decreased by 6.8%.

Additionally, holiday airport traffic varied by state, with some increasing significantly and others experiencing downturns. Balmy destinations like Florida and Arizona led the way at +12.7% and +10.9%. On the other hand, cold-weather states Maine and Alaska trended lower at -26.0% and -17.0%. 

So, which airports experience the most substantial increase in holiday traffic? The table below shows the data for large hubs. For the full results, simply visit the Luxury Link website.