Holiday travel to dip, but planes will fly full

Air travel around the Thanksgiving holidays is expected to decline 10 percent from last year, but flights will fly 90-100 percent full during peak travel days, the Air Transport Association said Wednesday.

About 24 million people will fly on U.S. carriers between Friday, Nov. 21 and Monday, Dec. 2, according to the ATA, a trade association that represents the airlines.

"Despite the expected decline in passengers this Thanksgiving holiday travel season — the first such decline in seven years — Thanksgiving remains the busiest travel time of the year for airlines," said ATA President and CEO James C. May.

Planes will be full because airlines have trimmed back flight schedules. The good news: Airports are not likely to be as congested as they were around the holidays in 2007.

"With fewer flights operating, that should provide some relief to the air traffic management system," May said. The ATA is hoping that the government will again open up military airspace as it did last year to help ease congestion, he added.

The busiest travel days are expected to be Sunday, Nov. 30; Monday, Dec. 1; and Wednesday, Nov. 26, respectively.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport expects holiday passenger traffic will be about even with last year, with about 90,000 passing through Sea-Tac on the busiest days, slightly fewer than in the peak days of summer.

Carol Pucci: cpucci@seattletimes.com