by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:45 AM ET, Wed November 17, 2021
Dela Air Lines announced it expects to transport up to 5.6 million passengers during the 2021 Thanksgiving holiday travel period.
During the holiday season running between November 19-30, Delta revealed it would increase staffing levels across all operations, including attendants, customer service reps and reservation agents, as well as restore a growing number of domestic and international flights.
The estimated 5.6 million passengers flying with the airline this Thanksgiving holiday season will nearly triple the total during the same period last year (2.2 million people) as the coronavirus pandemic impacted travel plans.
The 2021 estimates fall short of the 6.3 million customers who traveled during the same period in 2019, but the massive increase shows a continued rise in confidence. Delta said the higher number of travelers would cause busy airports, full flights and longer wait times.
The carrier also revealed the Sunday after Thanksgiving is expected to be the busiest travel day.
"The holidays can be a stressful time for many, but traveling doesn't have to be," Delta Chief Health Officer Dr. Henry Ting said. "The best thing we can do - like with most things in life we find stressful - is to prepare ahead of time and anticipate challenges so we take as much control over our experience as possible."
"This also allows us the mental space to give grace to those around us," Ting continued.
As for the winter holiday travel period-running between December 17 and January 3-Delta expects to transport between 8.7 million and nine million total passengers, with peak averages of around 530,000 people per day.
In addition to a busy domestic schedule, the airline has seen a 450 percent increase in international point-of-sale bookings since the United States announced it would reopen to international travelers.
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