The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is preparing for a busy Thanksgiving as it plans to screen 18.3 million travelers during the holiday.

Here’s everything you need to know about what to expect at the airport and tips for flying with ease.

How Busy Will Airports Be Before Thanksgiving?

TSA tracks Tuesday, November 26 through Monday, December 2 as the Thanksgiving holiday travel period.

The agency expects the three busiest travel days to be the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

Here’s how many travelers the TSA expects to screen on each of those days:

• Tuesday, November 26: 2.8 million

• Wednesday, November 27: 2.9 million

• Sunday, December 1: 3 million

The number of trips expected for the holiday period this year is about 6% higher than the same time in 2023.

Throughout 2024, TSA screened more than 2.9 million travelers on multiple days, but the record for most travelers in TSA history was set on Sunday, July 7, when TSA screened more than 3 million travelers.

“As we approach Thanksgiving, TSA is poised to receive record passenger volumes,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “The 10 busiest travel days in TSA history all occurred in 2024, and we expect that trend to continue. Together with our airport and airline partners and the FAA, we have optimized staffing and will do our best to maintain our wait time standards: less than 10 minutes for TSA PreCheck lanes and less than 30 minutes for standard screening lanes I am extremely grateful to our dedicated employees across the agency who continue to be vigilant and focused on the mission of ensuring the security of our transportation systems and keeping it traveling public safe.”

Tips for flying over Thanksgiving

TSA offers the following tips to ensure people have a smooth Thanksgiving holiday.

• Start with an empty bag. Doing this means travelers will be less likely to accidentally bring a prohibited item.

• Remember, all liquids must be 3.4 ounces or less when packed in a carry-on bag.

• Food items, such as gravy, cranberry sauce, wine, jams and preserves, must be packed in a checked bag if they are over 3.4 oz as they are considered liquids and gels.

• Solid foods, such as cakes and pastries, can be brought through TSA.

• Get to the airport early.

• Bring an acceptable ID.

• Know that TSA PreCheck offers travelers a faster screening, with wait times of around 10 minutes or less. Travelers signing up for PreCheck do not need to remove shoes, belts, liquids, aerosols and gels, laptops, food items and light jackets when going through screening.

Michigan residents to set Thanksgiving travel record

Almost 2.6 million Michigan residents are expected to travel 50 miles or more over the Thanksgiving weekendaccording to AAA. That is 65,000 more travelers than last year.

Record numbers are also forecast across the United States, with 79.9 million people expected to travel for Thanksgiving. These figures include different modes of travel, and not just flights.