Airlines buckle up for busy holiday

0 Comments | USA TODAY, November, 2007 | by Alan Levin

WASHINGTON -- Airlines are predicting a record number of passengers during the Thanksgiving holiday, and federal officials are enacting new flight routes in an attempt to fend off major delays.

The major airlines, coming off the worst summer for delays on record, said Monday that the most popular holiday for travel would see more passengers than ever. An estimated 27 million passengers will fly from Friday through Nov. 27, the 12 days surrounding the Nov. 22 holiday, according to the Air Transport Association (ATA).

That marks a 4% increase over estimates for last year, said ATA, the airline trade group. Aircraft will be 90% full on average -- another record, the association predicted. That means many flights won't have a single empty seat.

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