5.2 million travelers are expected at New York airports during the holidays

NEW YORK — Expect congested airports and highways as the holiday season kicks into high gear in the New York City region.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey predicts that 5.2 million passengers will travel through LaGuardia, JFK and Newark airports during the 2024 holiday season.

That’s a 3% jump from last year’s holiday season, officials said.

Amtrak service suspended

Some people who might have been hoping to get a head start on leisure travel ran into a problem. Amtrak service between New York and Philadelphia was suspended Sunday morning due to defective electricity cables.

The problem also affected some NJ Transit trains.

Service was initially expected to be restored at 10 a.m., but Amtrak later revised its estimate to 12 p.m.

Record trip predicted

AAA predicts more than 119 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles to reach their holiday destinations this year. The busiest route lasts 13 days, starting on December 21 and ending on January 2.

AAA estimates that about 90% of Americans traveling during the holidays will travel by car.

Still, the Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers during that period.

The advice from air travel experts remains the same: arrive at the airport two hours before departure, or three hours for international flights.