New Year’s Travel Frenzy: Chicago Midway Airport’s Record-Breaking Day Sparks Holiday Excitement

CHICAGO (WLS) — Passengers arrived at Midway Airport in Chicago on a drizzly Sunday during what is anticipated to be the airport’s most hectic day of the year amidst a holiday surge home.

Officials at the airport predict that over 50,000 individuals will transit through Midway Airport this Sunday.

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According to airport representatives, this number is comparable to the traffic from last year, making it their most bustling day of the year.

For traveler Levert Hughes, his plans to return to Philadelphia have been effortless.

“I brought my heavy coat expecting to face that classic Chicago weather,” Hughes remarked. “It’s going smoothly, even managed a quick pass. I just had to come up and get it sorted, then I’m heading back down, moving through TSA without a hitch.”

As per the Department of Aviation, in the last 24 hours up till 5 p.m. Sunday, out of over 450 flights, 80 experienced delays of 45 minutes or longer. A total of 126 flights were delayed, with only two cancelled.

“Well, there are quite a number of people present, but it’s still somewhat slow,” stated Rowena West, who was en route to Alabama. “I believe it will gain momentum as the day goes on. They’re still, you know, managing turkey and dressing and all of that, which is causing them to rise a bit later tonight.”

Last Monday marked the most crowded holiday travel day at O’Hare prior to Christmas.

TSA indicates they are prepared to screen approximately 40 million travelers nationwide through January 2, reflecting a 6% increase compared to last year.

With that consideration, several passengers have some recommendations.

“Arrive early,” Hughes advised. “If you’re coming in the afternoon, you’ll face quite a bit of hassle.”

However, not everyone will be soaring through the skies. According to AAA, 90% of individuals will be driving this holiday season.

The optimal time to hit the highways Sunday was before noon; any time beyond that and motorists are likely to encounter heavy traffic.

AAA estimated that 107 million individuals would take to the roads.