This Thanksgiving week is expected to end in another record-setting time period for air travel in the United States.The people responsible for keeping security lines, boarding areas and jetliners moving from the U.S. transportation secretary and airline chiefs on down the line swear they are prepared for the crowds.Airline passengers might get lucky like they did last year, when relatively few flights were canceled during the holiday week. A repeat will require the weather's cooperation. And even if skies are blue, a shortage of air traffic controllers could create delays."This will be the busiest Thanksgiving ever in terms of air travel," TSA Administrator David Pekoske said. "Fortunately, our staffing is also at the highest levels that they have ever been. We are ready." An ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers could cause flight delays at other airports.Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Mike Whitaker said last week that he expects his agency to use special measures to deal with shortages at some facilities."If we are short on staff, we will slow traffic as needed to keep the system safe," he said.Check your flightsWVTM 13 has compiled a list of airports so that you can check your flights easily.Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International AirportArrivalsDepartures Dothan Regional AirportFlight StatusHartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International AirportSecurity wait timesFlight statusHuntsville International AirportArrivals and DeparturesMobile International AirportFlight StatusMobile Regional AirportFlight StatusMontgomery Regional AirportFlight StatusNorthwest Alabama Regional AirportFlight StatusThe timing of Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Day takes place late this year, with the fourth Thursday of November falling on Nov. 28. That shortens the traditional shopping season and changes the rhythm of holiday travel.With more time before the holiday, people tend to spread out their outbound travel over more days, but everyone returns at the same time, said Andrew Watterson, the chief operating officer of Southwest Airlines."A late Thanksgiving leads to a big crush at the end the Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday after Thanksgiving are usually very busy with Thanksgiving this late," Watterson said.The rise of remote work also has caused the Thanksgiving travel period to expand, AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said."The pandemic changed everything," she said. "What we have seen is that post-pandemic, people are leaving at certain times, perhaps even leaving the weekend before Thanksgiving, working remotely from their destination a couple of days, and then enjoying time with their loved ones."This article contains information from The Associated Press.

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