AUSTIN (KXAN) — They say that the early bird gets the worm — and that same sentiment rings true for travelers heading to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport this holiday season.

Friday marked the official start of Thanksgiving holiday travel, said Bryce Dubee, a spokesperson for ABIA. He confirmed nearly 31,000 passengers went through security on Friday alone, with over 26,000 people passing through on Saturday.

Projections for Sunday anticipate an additional 30,000 people will travel via ABIA, and nearly 29,000 on Monday, he added.

Comparatively, roughly 26,000 people traveled through ABIA the Monday prior to Thanksgiving in 2019, and less than 10,000 passed through security in 2020

Nov. 19-29 marks ABIA’s Thanksgiving travel window, Dubee said. ABIA officials recommend all passengers arrive a minimum of three hours before their departure time to allow time to pass through security and make their flights.

Written by Kelsey Thompson