See All the Planes in the Air at the Same Time as Thanksgiving Travel Begins

Thanksgiving is known as one of the busiest times of year for U.S. travel.

By Stephen Andrew

Thanksgiving is said to be the busiest traveling holiday of the year, and right now you can get a live look at all the planes that are in the air right this minute. Click here to see the live flight tracker. Flight Aware offers a real-time report of active flights, and there are currently hundreds of planes in the air.

According to the AP, a record number of travelers are expected to be in the air and on the roads this Thanksgiving holiday. The outlet reports that the Transportation Security Administration "expects to screen 2.6 million passengers on Tuesday and 2.7 million passengers on Wednesday." However, it's Sunday that will draw in the largest crowds, "with an estimated 2.9 million passengers, which would narrowly eclipse a record set on June 30."

One of the biggest concerns every year around the holidays is whether or not adverse weather will affect travel. Scott Keyes, founder of the travel site Going, told the AP that he is cautiously optimistic holiday air travel will not be as chaotic as it was in 2022. "Everyone understands that airlines can't control Mother Nature," Keyes said. "What really irks people are the controllable cancellations – those widespread disruptions because the airline couldn't get their act together because their system melted down the way Southwest did over Christmas."

When it comes to weather issues, East Coast Americans are facing what seems to be the most challenging travel conditions due to rain storms. According to the National Weather Service, "Widespread rainfall and locally heavy rain along the East Coast are expected to taper off by this evening. Accumulating snow today across northern New England and especially over northern Maine." 

"A white Thanksgiving is on tap for northern and central Rockies as arctic air intrudes the northern tier of the country on Thanksgiving Day into Friday," the NWS added. "A low pressure complex that had brought a round of soaking rain across much of the eastern U.S. on Tuesday is in the process of moving off the East Coast early this morning. However, the Carolinas and New England will likely see precipitation lingering longer today as rain tapers off in other areas along the East Coast. 

"Cold air trapped in New England will support snow today as the center of a low pressure system passes just to the south. Up to 8 inches of snow is forecast for portions of northern Maine," the NEWS continued. "By Thanksgiving morning, the low pressure system will largely move off the East Coast, bringing clearing skies just in time for Thanksgiving festivities. Nevertheless, much of the Northeast will likely contend with blustery conditions as the storm is forecast to deepen quite rapidly just off to the east. Some snow showers are forecast to resume over interior New England by Thanksgiving evening as an arctic front approaches from the west." Make sure to check your local weather conditions at weather.gov before venturing out too far this Thanksgiving holiday.

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