CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Thanksgiving travel season is officially underway and experts predict an all time high of North Carolinians to be a part of the traffic this year. WCCB Charlotte's Zane Cina learned what fliers should expect from airport officials.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport predicts 1.02 million people will fly out of Charlotte from November 21st through December 2nd. That would mean a seven percent increase in holiday air travel from last Thanksgiving. Airport Chief Operating Officer, Jerome Woodard, said additional staff will be on hand throughout the next couple of weeks to keep operations moving smoothly for all travelers.

Woodard said this year's travel will mark the highest the Airport has seen for any Thanksgiving. The Airport expects more than 423,000 people will pass through Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints. Woodard believes the Airport will be able to handle the increase in travelers well, and said passenger numbers will not surpass the record setting number of travelers seen this past Summer.

"We are much more in a much better positioned and coordinated place to be able to manage that traffic this year. Last year we were more in a reactionary mode," Woodard said. "This year we are being very much proactive and are placing assets so that we can manage the traffic as it comes."

Charlotte Douglas International Airport has made recent upgrades which officials believe will make getting fliers in and out of the terminal flow much smoother. Three inner lanes have been opened on the Airport's departures level, and two overhead walkways have also opened.

That's going to be hugely impactful to the operation because it gives us additional capacity to be able to really meet the needs of all that additional traffic that comes in," Woodard said. "If you think to last year we didn't have those lanes open, so we were very limited in terms of where we could push that traffic."

Airport officials recommend all fliers arrive at least two hours ahead of their flight time and be patient.

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