A traveler checks flight information at LAX as the shutdown continues for more than a month and essential workers remain without pay on November 5, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Grace Hieyun | Anadolu | Getty Images
U.S. airlines are expecting another record-setting Thanksgiving holiday travel period, optimistic now that the government shutdown that plagued travelers is over.
Airlines for America, a lobbying group representing the nation’s largest airlines, predicted Thursday that airlines will carry more than 31 million people between Friday, Nov. 21 and Monday, Dec. 1. The busiest day is the Sunday after Thanksgiving, when about 3.4 million people are expected to board the plane, followed by the Monday after Thanksgiving, when about 3.1 passengers are expected to board.
Airline executives expressed relief as the longest government shutdown in history ended on November 12th. A shortage of air traffic controllers and having to work without regular pay has caused flight delays and cancellations, disrupting the travel plans of around 6 million people, A4A said.
The airline industry is currently asking lawmakers to pass legislation to protect air traffic controllers’ salaries if flights are grounded again, and executives have complained in recent weeks that air travel has become a political bargaining chip. The latest bill limits government funding to January, so industry officials hope to avoid another round of shutdowns right before the start of the winter and spring break seasons.
Bank of America estimates that major airlines’ operating profits could be affected by $150 million to $200 million and smaller airlines by $100 million due to the closures, but airlines have not yet released revised forecasts.
Some travelers may have waited until the shutdown was over to book a trip.
united airlines It said bookings for Nov. 15 to Nov. 16 were up 16% compared to the previous weekend, when air travel disruptions spiked.
The company also said international travel bookings were at record levels for the holiday period, up 10% year-on-year, with Cancun, Mexico, major European hub cities London and Frankfurt, Germany being top destinations.
Overall, United expects to fly 6.6 million passengers between Nov. 20 and Dec. 2, an increase of more than 4% from last year.
The largest U.S. airline’s international capacity increased by about 5% from Nov. 26 to Nov. 30 compared with the same period last year, and domestic capacity increased by about 2%, according to aviation data firm Cirium.
american airlines announced that it plans to operate 80,759 flights between November 20 and December 2, the most of any airline.
“The Thanksgiving holiday period is one of the most concentrated and important periods for our customers. The stakes are high and our U.S. team is ready to make it happen,” American Airlines Chief Operating Officer David Seymour said in a news release.
However, not all airlines have tightened their schedules. Low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines has fallen into bankruptcy for the second time in less than a year, cutting costs and furloughing hundreds of pilots as it seeks to put itself on stronger financial footing.
Spirit’s domestic flight capacity is down nearly 40% from a year ago, according to Cirium data.
