Which States See the Biggest Airport Traffic Surges During the Holidays?

Delaware sees the most flight passenger growth over the Thanksgiving and winter holidays, while traffic declines in Maine and Wyoming

Source: Luxury Link analysis of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) data

Holiday air traffic patterns vary significantly across different states, with some regions experiencing far greater surges in daily passenger throughput than others. In 2025, states with major tourist destinations and warmer climates—such as Florida (+13.8%) and Arizona (+9.4%)—recorded some of the largest increases in daily passenger traffic during the holiday season. Some states with popular ski towns like Colorado and Idaho also saw notable gains of 11.1%, likely reflecting a mix of tourism and family gatherings during that period.

At the other end of the spectrum, colder and less accessible states such as Maine (-25.7%), Alaska (-17.4%), Vermont (-11.7%), and Wyoming (-10.6%) experienced the steepest declines, where peak summer tourism destinations give way to harsher winter weather and fewer tourist arrivals. Notably, Delaware stands out as a massive outlier, logging a 49.1% traffic increase as residents and nearby "snowbirds" depart for warmer winter climates. Because the state’s only commercial airport, Wilmington (ILG), expanded its terminal in January 2026, this upcoming winter will be the first real test of its new capacity.

At the individual airport level, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) tops the list of large hub airports with a 26.1% increase, while airports in other warm, tourist destinations like Miami International Airport (MIA) and Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) both saw traffic increases of over 10%. Further north, the New York City area presents a sharp contrast in how its three major airports handle the seasonal rush. Newark (EWR) saw a 14.1% jump by absorbing the region's massive surge in domestic holiday hub traffic. In contrast, JFK (+4.3%) and LaGuardia (-1.2%) saw little to no holiday boost, as JFK relies on steadier international routes and LaGuardia loses its primary base of corporate commuters. For inbound leisure travelers confronting peak flight pricing, managing the overall cost of a winter visit often hinges on ground-level flexibility—such as flying mid-week or monitoring seasonal lodging deals to offset steeper airfares.

Below are the top and bottom 15 large hub airports and states ranked by holiday traffic changes. For more detailed information, see the methodology section. For complete results, see the original report on Luxury Link: Holiday Rush: The Airports With the Biggest Traffic Surge During the Holiday Season

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