ROMULUS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Nationwide, the Transportation Security Administration is gearing up for record Thanksgiving travel numbers.
In Detroit, airport staff said they are prepared to handle the hike in crowds this holiday. They are asking passengers to come prepared as well.
"Anytime that we see the holidays, we always experience an uptick between 6 (percent) to 8%," TSA Director for Michigan Reggie Stephens said.
He is urging holiday travelers to get to Detroit Metropolitan Airport several hours before takeoff.
"For domestic flights, we recommend that you arrive two hours early and for international flights, three hours early," Stephens said.
We spoke with Joseph G., who said he is flying to California for the holiday. He said he is leaving Monday to try and beat the rush.
"Mondays are probably the less busy, so usually probably better to leave," Joseph said.
Tom Qin is flying out of the country for Thanksgiving. He said he is also trying to get ahead of the crowd.
"I figured it would be easier to leave right before Thanksgiving because most people will be flying into the states where as I'm flying out," Qin said.
Qin is flying to Japan to see his family for the first time in about five years.
"It's less busy than I thought, just give it like a day or two," Qin said.
Stephens said DTW is expecting about 44,000 passengers on Tuesday and about 44,000 more on Wednesday.
He says the busiest day will most likely be on Sunday.
"Where we're expecting over 48,000 passengers to fly out of metro," Stephens said.
When it comes to making sure you get through those security lines as quickly as possible, Stephens said you want to make sure you know exactly what you have in your bag before you get to the airport.
Some things not to pack in your carry-on include sharp objects, aerosols or firearms.
"Last year, we detected 97 firearms. This year, that number is substantially down. We're currently at 57 firearms detected," Stephens said.
For a more extensive list of what is allowed and what is not, you can head to tsa.gov.
Stephens says the most important thing to pack, though, is patience.
"We are all in this together. We want to make sure that you have a safe and happy Thanksgiving and so we're going to be working our hardest to make sure that we're providing the necessary support," Stephens said.
