Air travelers this holiday week should prepare to be patient and give themselves plenty of time at the airport.

Wayne Shank, the executive director of the Norfolk Airport Authority, said the airport is expecting a busy season, even though the airlines have cut back on the number of flights available.

“We’re expecting a very busy Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday traffic period,” he said.

Because of the reduced number of flights and the still-sluggish economy, he does not expect significantly more people to travel through Norfolk International Airport than last year.

“We’re looking at being fairly flat this year,” he said.

The airport handled more than 263,000 passengers last November.

Shank recommended that travelers check in and print boarding passes at home to save time at the airport.

He also said people should get to the airport well before their scheduled boarding time.

“Allow yourself plenty of time to get to the gate,” he said. “It will be a less stressful process if you’re not rushed.”

He also recommended plenty of patience.

“You are going to run into lines you would not experience in off-holiday travel peaks,” he said.

Those who shopped early for Christmas gifts and are traveling with them should wrap them when they get to their destination, Shank said. If they don’t, Transportation Security Administration workers are likely to unwrap the gift themselves during safety inspections.

While the number of air travelers is expected to stay flat, the number traveling by car will increase, AAA projected.

About 42.5 million Americans — or 1.25 million Virginians — will travel 50 miles or more from home to be with family members or friends over the long weekend. That’s a 4 percent increase nationwide and 3.8 percent in Virginia.

“Driving AAA’s projected increase in the number of Thanksgiving travelers is pent-up demand from Americans who may have foregone holiday travel the last three years,” said Georjeane Blumling, AAA Tidewater Virginia vice president. “As consumers weigh the fear of economic uncertainty and the desire to create lasting family members this holiday, more Americans are expected to choose family and friends over frugality.”

The projected increase is the first for holidays this year. Memorial Day travel was statistically flat, while the number of people traveling for Independence Day and Labor Day declined.