IND now prepares for upcoming Thanksgiving holiday travel INDIANAPOLIS (Nov. 9, 2026) – Fall break has become the busiest travel period for the Indianapolis International Airport (IND) over the past few years. The busiest air travel days in the Indy airport’s history have fallen within a Fall-break period, and 2026 has added more to that story. Fall Break 2026 saw four days land on the list of the 10 busiest days in the airport’s history. Those days ranked as the busiest because they saw the highest volume of outbound passenger traffic. Oct. 8 at the start of Fall Break 2026 recorded more than 23,231 passengers departing out of IND, with Oct. 18 running closely behind with passenger departure volume at 23,079. Oct. 9 and 11 each topped out with more than 22,700 departing passengers each day. Comparatively, the busiest air-travel day in IND history was Oct. 9, 2025 with more than 24,100 passengers departing on that date. In all, more than 486,000 travelers, flew out of IND during the Fall-break period Oct. 1 – Oct. 26. “You could say Fall break has become the Super Bowl of travel at the Indy airport,” said Indianapolis Airport Authority Executive Director Mario Rodriguez. “With 58 nonstop flights available, including our growing list of international flights, and our extensive list of popular nonstops to Florida, Hoosiers have lots of options to get out and see the world during Fall break.” Sunshine was the top draw for Fall Break 2026. Florida remained the destination of choice for Hoosier Fall-break travelers, with Fort Myers, Miami, Punta Gorda, Sarasota and St. Petersburg among the most-traveled-to cities. Other popular destinations during Fall Break 2026 included Austin, Nashville, Dublin, Los Angeles and Boston. Looking Ahead: Thanksgiving Travel 2026 Now Indy airport officials are gearing up for the Thanksgiving holiday rush – which always boasts big travel numbers. IAA officials project an approximate 123,000 travelers will fly out of IND during the Thanksgiving travel period between Nov. 22 – 29. The busiest travel day is expected to be Nov. 29, with 21,000 passengers estimated to depart Indianapolis. Additional peak travel days will include Nov. 25 and Nov. 28, respectively. Airlines are offering the most flights during Thanksgiving to destinations that include Atlanta, Denver, Orlando, Chicago-O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Charlotte-Douglas, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Austin and Baltimore.