Millions of Americans have swarmed into airports and hit the highways on Wednesday as Thanksgiving Day approaches, marking the busiest travel day since the pandemic virtually halted the

tradition of gathering with loved ones over the extended holiday weekend.

A sprawling storm that unleashed heavy rains and strong winds across much of the eastern U.S. on Tuesday has moved away from the region on Wednesday, as reported by the National Weather Service, alleviating concerns about significant flight disruptions. Between November 17 and November 27, U.S. airlines are expected to accommodate a record-breaking 29.9 million passengers, according to Airlines for America, an industry forecaster.

This reflects a 9% increase compared to the previous year and a surge of 1.7 million passengers from the pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography from USA, Wikimedia commons.