Summer Months To Bring Busiest Travel Days For O'Hare
CHICAGO (CBS)--Travelers passing through O'Hare this summer season should expect larger crowds during June, July and August, but the upside is more on-time flights, according to a report from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Despite commonly-held beliefs that the winter holiday season is the busiest at U.S. airports, the FAA says airports are actually the most clogged in the summertime.
That certainly rings true at O'Hare. Last year's top three busiest travel days for the airport were July 27, June 29 and Aug. 17. At least 2,720 flights flew in and out of the airport on each of those days.
The 10-year average for top busiest flight days at O'Hare all fell in July or August, but not on the 4th of July weekend. Statistics show Aug. 5 as the busiest day of the year. July 25 comes in second.
In 2017, the top travel days for the airport were July 27 and June 29, both with at least 2,730 arrivals and departures.
Overall, the busiest month for O'Hare is August. Midway sees the most travelers in June.
Despite having to navigate through heavy crowds, there's good news for passengers flying into O'Hare this summer.
Out of the 30 busiest airports in the country the FAA ranked O'Hare 15th for the most on-time arrivals during June, July and August in 2017.
The statistics show more flights are arriving on-time than in previous years. Chicago's largest airport ranked 26th out of 30 in 2014 and 20th in 2016.
Want to book a flight on a slower day? Avoid flying on Thursday, which tends to be the busiest day of the week.
AAA says Orlando is the most popular U.S. summer travel destination for Americans this year, with Honolulu coming in second and Anchorage ranking third.
International travelers are heading to Rome, Vancouver and Dublin.
