The Rush Is On With Holiday Travel

Folks are rushing to get to family and friends for Thanksgiving.

With one-point-eight-million passengers expected at O’Hare and Midway airports this Thanksgiving week, air traffic control staffing remains strained. The regional control center in Aurora reports staffing at just 82-percent, despite ongoing efforts to train new controllers, which can take up to three years. Experts attribute increased air congestion to airlines favoring smaller, more frequent flights. While safety remains high, calls for innovative solutions, including the use of artificial intelligence, continue to grow. United Airlines recently criticized the FAA, citing controller shortages as a major cause of disruptions.

As it stands this morning, there are more than 220 flights delayed, but less than 20 cancelations, according to the tracking site FlightAware.