CHICAGO – Chicago O’Hare International Airport is one of the three busiest airports on Thursday, along with Atlanta and Dallas Fort Worth.

United and American Airlines expect this to be the busiest Labor Day weekend ever, with Thursday being one of the busiest days for travel.

The Chicago Department of Aviation reports that 1.44 million people will travel through O’Hare, marking the busiest Labor Day travel period ever and a 10 percent increase from last year.

Midway will also see a surge in activity, welcoming 306,000 travelers over the next six days, a 3 percent increase over 2023.

The TSA is expected to screen 17 million passengers between Thursday and next Wednesday.

There was an increase in travel numbers during all summer holidays this year.

Some travelers are more experienced than others.

“I have an e-book, a regular book and snacks,” said Donna Wittert, who was waiting at the gate for her flight.

Her husband, Bill, said he passes the time by learning Italian and looking for people to practice with.

Triple A points out that the increase is mainly due to domestic flights, while international travel is declining during this period.

More travelers mean longer queues at the gate and more traffic at airports, especially at curbside check-in.

Heavy traffic is also expected on the roads on Thursday.