Fliers using the Atlanta airport this summer can expect bigger crowds and higher fares.
Memorial Day weekend marks the start of the high season for flying, and Hartsfield-Jackson International expects 1.6 million travelers in the next six days, up about 5 percent from last year.
The Air Transport Association, an airline trade group, forecasts 1.5 percent traffic growth nationally this summer.
"We're preparing for a very busy travel season," said Hartsfield-Jackson general manager Louis Miller. He said he hopes passenger traffic at the airport for the full year will be up 3 percent to 5 percent. Last year, 89.3 million passengers used Hartsfield-Jackson, slightly off the record of 90 million passengers in 2008.
A 3 percent increase this year would set a new record for Hartsfield-Jackson, the world's busiest airport.
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines said it expects to carry more than 45 million travelers this summer, and it has added services such as charging stations with power outlets at gate areas, customer support through its Twitter account, @DeltaAssist, and ‘premium' coach seats on long international flights that offer more legroom and other perks for an extra fee.
The Transportation Security Administration is continuing its security policies including restrictions on carrying liquids through checkpoints and said travelers can check to see whether items are prohibited at www.tsa.gov/mobile.
Miller said the Georgia Department of Transportation is doing weekend road work around the airport, which might slow traffic.
Meanwhile, airlines have increased fares amid higher fuel costs.
Bing Travel predicts fares will be up 15 percent this summer compared with last year. Airlines Reporting Corp., which settles airlines' transactions with travel sellers, said the price of airline tickets including taxes and fees sold by U.S. travel agencies was up more than 8 percent for the first four months of the year.
AAA projects an 11.5 percent increase in Georgia air travelers for the holiday weekend, as people who can afford it take to the skies. Still, it says, fliers are choosing cheaper trips, spending $692, down from $809 last year, according to a survey.
At the same time, high gas prices are crimping car travel. The number of Georgians traveling by road this weekend is expected to decline about 0.3 percent compared with last year, and many who do drive will take shorter trips, according to AAA.
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