ATLANTA — Travel officials warned of high traffic at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Friday amid the "possibility of breaking a single-day volume record."
Travelers reported long lines at points in the day to get through security, though the officially posted TSA wait times were in line with norms. As of 1:35 p.m., the main checkpoint had an officially listed wait time of 22 minutes.
Several posts on social media showed lines snaking throughout the baggage claim area, which would indicate substantially longer lines than are typical. Reached for comment via email around 2 p.m., an airport spokesman provided a picture showing light lines.
"It’s a long weekend for many, and passenger volume is heavy, but we’re moving our guests through efficiently and with no major issues," Andrew Gobeil, the airport's senior director for corporate communications and media affairs, said. "We’re advising our passengers to arrive in the airport at least two hours (two and a half during busy periods) prior to their domestic departure time; three hours for international travel."
The TSA Southeast regional account posted that the agency was expecting more than 100,000 passengers.
"We're expecting more than 100k passengers through @TSA security checkpoints at @ATLairport today, with a possibility of breaking a single-day volume record," the post said. "Please plan ahead and factor in additional time for traffic, parking and rental car returns."
The ATL Airport account also wrote a post on X urging travelers to arrive early.
It said: "As a reminder today is a busy travel day. Please arrive in the Airport at least 2 hours prior to domestic departure time/3 hours for international. Current wait times can be found at https://atl.com/times/."
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