Wednesday's air travel crush? Barely a cancellation anywhere

Thanksgiving fliers were treated to one of the must punctual "getaway days" in recent memory. Flights were operating on time at most airports across the nation and there was barely a cancellation to find on Wednesday, one of busiest travel days of the year.

Less than three dozen flights had been canceled nationwide and about 1,200 delayed as of 8:10 p.m. ET, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware. Both numbers -- especially the cancellations -- are incredibly small on a national scale.

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That didn't mean air travelers were without concerns Wednesday, however. Fliers faced long lines at some airports, though that's not uncommon on busy travel days like the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

"Lines are longer than usual at DCA this morning but are moving pretty quickly," CBS News reporter Kris Van Cleave said in a morning tweet from Washington's Reagan National Airport.

"Very smooth security in ATL (Atlanta)," Today in the Sky reader Chip York said on Facebook about his Wednesday morning trip through the world's busiest airport.

And some fliers have concerns about security following the Nov. 13 Paris terror attacks and a subsequent global travel alert from the U.S. State Department.

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“It makes you nervous a little but I kind of feel like there’s caution everywhere you go right now,’’ Krista Dalton of Gilbert, Ariz., said Tuesday from Phoenix while waiting for her flight to Minneapolis. “Just be aware of your surroundings. I always am.’’

But, as far as weather was concerned, it appeared that Mother Nature would offer no major trouble spots for Wednesday flight schedules. A large storm system was making its way across the central U.S. early Wednesday, but it was not forecast to bring flight-snarling weather to any of the USA’s major air hubs.

The Federal Aviation Administration acknowledged "Thanksgiving traffic volume is expected to be heavy today, especially along the East Coast." Still, the agency predicted "clear skies and the lack of severe weather will allow for on-time arrivals and departures for most travelers today, but the increased volume may contribute to delays along the heaviest-traveled north/south routes."

Any weather-related delays on Wednesday were likely to be sporadic and localized, allowing a remarkable run of on-time schedules to continue during the run-up to Thanksgiving.

On Tuesday, less than 60 flights were canceled nationwide -- a remarkably small number that indicates close to ideal operating conditions for the nation’s air traffic system. Delays also were relatively modest across the nation, with San Francisco the only major hub to see sustained flight back-ups thanks to reduced visibility there.

Even Monday saw nearly ideal flight operations, with less than 90 cancellations nationwide and only minor delay counts.