The busy Thanksgiving travel period is off to a rocky start in North Texas.
Dallas-Fort Worth International and Dallas Love Field airports experienced more than 600 flight delays and 150 cancelations on Monday as thunderstorms swept through the metroplex.
DFW had 580 delays as of 11 a.m. and 96 cancelations, according to FlightAware.com. Love Field had 92 delays and 69 cancelations.
The Federal Aviation Administration also issued a departure delay at DFW and Love Field, reporting an average delay of 15 minutes — but increasing.
The delays come during what the FAA said will be the busiest Thanksgiving travel season in 15 years, with more than 52,000 people expected to fly on Tuesday. DFW estimates it'll see 3 million customers through Dec. 2, according to its website.
Love Field has over 270,000 bookings between Nov. 23 and Nov. 29, with the busiest travel day being Monday, according to Patrick Clarke, a spokesperson for Dallas' Department of Aviation.
Both airports advise travelers arrive two hours early to flights and expect heavy traffic. DFW officials expect the busiest time to be the evening of Nov. 30.
Large crowds and packed parking lots are also expected on Nov. 26 and Nov. 29.
"Customers departing or arriving any day of the holiday season should expect heavy traffic across the airport’s roadways, particularly approaching the terminals from the north, and along the terminal curbs," according to DFW's website.
It also notes that congestion at Terminal C is expected to be particularly bad due to the ongoing construction in that area.
On top of arriving extra early, DFW recommends using its app to book parking ahead of time, and riding public transportation.
Dylan Duke is KERA's Fall news intern. Got a tip? Email Dylan Duke at dduke@kera.org.
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