Salt Lake International Airport Slower Than Normal Before Thanksgiving

As the United States breaks records for air travel during the pandemic, the number of people passing through the Salt Lake International Airport is smaller than normal.

Over the weekend, nearly 10,000 people left on departing flights each day, airport officials told KSL.

The busiest day to travel is typically the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Last year, 24,000 travelers departed from Salt Lake. This year, airport officials expect around 12,000 people to take off from Salt Lake on Wednesday.

That stays in line with current travel trends. Passenger travel has dropped by 55% at the Salt Lake airport amid the pandemic, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other government officials are telling people not to travel for the holidays this year because of the pandemic.

From Friday to Sunday, more than 3 million people passed through airport security checkpoints in the U.S., CNN reported. Sunday was the busiest day for air travel since March.

Videos and photos from the weekend showed crowds at airports in Phoenix, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; and Chicago. Business Insider reported the Boston Logan International Airport and what's usually the world's busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, appeared rather empty ahead of the holiday.

Photo: Getty Images