Planning Holiday Travel? You May Be Surprised by What Airports to Avoid.

For some travelers, that means scheduling longer layovers, avoiding entire airlines, flying earlier in the day in case of delays, or even trying to avoid certain airports likely to be extra-busy. And according to a study based on information from the US Transportation Safety Administration and analyzed by luxury hotel search engine Luxury Link, many major airports are likely to see a massive surge this holiday season.

That’s especially true of major airports near warm-weather destinations where people want to spend the holidays to escape the cold, such as Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (gateway to South Florida’s beaches, the Florida Keys, Miami, and holiday cruises leaving from Miami), Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (the largest airport in Hawaiʻi), and Tampa International Airport (home to beaches on the Gulf Coast, as well as a popular airport for East Coast snowbirds).

If trends continue, holiday air travel in 2024 will be even busier than 2023. Photo: Ringo Chiu/Shutterstock

But what’s really interesting is that the airports likely to see the largest surges aren’t just major airports. Smaller airports may be more prone to extreme traffic surges, and though it may still be fewer people overall, it could impact the traveler experience at smaller airports not used to heavy traffic. In some states in the US, there are just a few airports to serve a large area. It may be an area that doesn’t normally serve many tourists, but may be notably busier over the holidays as people travel home to see family, rather than going there on a leisurely vacation. “[Airports in] states like North Dakota (+11.8%) and Kansas (+10.5%) experience notable increases,” suggests the report, “potentially due to their smaller airports handling a disproportionate amount of local and regional holiday traffic.”

If you’re planning holiday travel, here are the small airports most likely to see the largest bumps in passenger traffic.

Airports listed below include only airports used to seeing 100 or more passengers per day. Other airports likely to be impacted by heavy passenger traffic but have fewer than 100 passengers per day include Salem-Willamette Valley Airport/McNary Field (SLE) in Oregon, Reading Regional Airport (RDG) in Pennsylvania, San Bernardino International Airport (SBD) in California, McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport (MKL) in Tennessee, and Eastern Sierra Regional Airport (BIH) in California — serving the little-visited areas of Bishop and the Eastern Sierra.

Photo: Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock

On Florida’s Atlantic coast, VRB serves as a gateway for travelers seeking a warm, coastal escape from colder northern climates during the winter season. It primarily flies to and from smaller airports on the East Coast, drawn by Vero Beach’s proximity to popular destinations such as Orlando and western Florida beaches. It’s predicted to see at least a 168 percent jump in traffic over the holidays.

Photo: Lucky-photographer/Shutterstock

Wilmington Airport (ILG) in Delaware is anticipated to experience a notable surge in holiday traffic (predicted to be at least an 83 percent jump) due to its convenient location for travelers headed to Philadelphia, Baltimore, or Washington, D.C. Travelers may choose to fly to Wilmington to avoid the larger and more crowded airports in those cities, such as Dulles or Philadelphia International Airport

Photo: Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock

Manhattan Regional Airport isn’t likely to drive traffic as an alternative to JFK — because MHK is actually in Manhattan, Kansas. It’s likely to see at least a 62 percent jump in traffic this holiday season, likely because it serves as the primary airport for Fort Riley and Kansas State University, becoming busy as students, military personnel, and residents travel to visit family. It’s also the second-busiest airport in Kansas, after Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport.

Photo: Allison H. Smith/Shutterstock

Provo Airport in Utah is likely to see a jump this holiday season for two primary reasons. It’s close to ski resorts around Salt Lake City, especially those to the south like Sundance, and is also very close to Salt Lake City. That makes it a viable alternative to the busier SLC airport, especially for people who don’t want to deal with city traffic. It’s expected to see at least a 58 percent jump in traffic.

Photo: Owen R. Thorton/Shutterstock

The next biggest jump at any airport will be a regional airport in Colorado. EGE (also known as the Vail/Eagle Airport) sits in the Rocky Mountains east of Denver along I70, making it a convenient option for skiers headed to resorts like Vail, Copper Mountain, Snowmass, and Aspen, all of which are less than 40 miles away. It’s also used by wealthy individuals who don’t mind the premium to fly into Eagle County — many of whom are likely to decide to spend the holidays at Colorado ski chalets. It will likely see at least a 52 percent bump in holiday traffic.