The fallout from a week of sharp flight reductions nationwide has eased considerably, just in time for what is expected to be record air travel for Southern Californians flying for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

While the vast majority of travelers will be driving to their destinations, airports and planes will still be crowded given the nearly 3% uptick in air travel that the Auto Club of Southern California is forecasting for next week.

The holiday forecast, released on Monday, comes on the same day that flight reductions ordered by the Transportation Department and Federal Aviation Administration officially ended.

The phased cuts at the nation’s 40 busiest airports — including San Diego’s — went into effect Nov. 7 as a way to address safety concerns in light of staffing shortages

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