AAA estimates that more than 7 million people will fly for the holidays, and Syracuse Hancock International Airport is gearing up for one of its busiest holiday travel seasons ever.
Matthew Szwejbka, of the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority, said the airport expects about 80,000 travelers during the travel holiday from Dec. 16 to Jan. 3.
“That’s a 13% increase over our busiest year, which was the busiest year we’ve had in 30 years, which was 2019,” Szwejbka said.
He said the airport is prepared for increased traffic with expanded parking along with an online status indicator for travelers to find open seats.
With a major winter storm affecting the region Friday through Saturday, bringing strong winds, cold temperatures and icy conditions, some flights may be delayed or canceled. Szwejbka said the airport’s maintenance team will work to keep the airport operational through whatever Mother Nature throws at them. Some airlines are offering travel waivers as another option for travelers who need to change their plans with the storm.
“We want our travelers checking in directly with their airline to confirm the status of their flight,” Szwejbka said. “But the reality is that some airlines when a critical threshold is reached, even though we are safe, secure and operational, they may not choose to operate that day.”
Szwejbka says to arrive two hours before your scheduled departure time, even if your flight is delayed, because Transportation Security Administration checkpoint hours end at 9 p.m. To make going through security easier, the TSA has a online guide to packable items. an airplane – especially when travelers bring gifts to and from their destinations.
“They say, if you can avoid it, don’t wrap presents before you travel,” Szwejbka said. “This will make going through the TSA security checkpoint much easier.”
If travelers must wrap their gifts, Szwejbka said they use gift bags instead to make the security screening process easier.
