AAA estimates that more than seven million people will fly during the holiday season, and Syracuse Hancock International Airport is gearing up for one of the busiest holiday travel seasons ever.
Syracuse Regional Airports Authority Matthew Schweibka said the airport expects about 80,000 travelers during the December 16-January 3 holiday season.
“This is about a 13% increase over our busiest year in 30 years, 2019,” said Szwejbka.
He said the airport is preparing for increased traffic by expanding its parking lots, along with an online status indicator for travelers to find available parking lots.
A large winter storm will affect the region from Friday to Saturday, with high winds, low temperatures and icing conditions likely to delay or cancel several flights, Szwejbka said. He stated that whatever Mother Nature throws at them will work to keep the airport operational. Some airlines offer travel waivers as another option for travelers who need to change their plans due to a storm.
“We encourage travelers to check directly with the airlines to confirm the status of their flights,” Szwejbka said. “But the reality is that when critical thresholds are reached, some airlines choose not to operate on those days even though they are safe and sound.”
Szwejbka advises arriving two hours before the scheduled departure time, even if your flight is delayed, as TSA checkpoint hours close at 9:00 p.m. when bringing gifts to or from a destination.
“If you can avoid it, don’t wrap gifts before traveling,” says Szwejbka. “Now it’s much easier to get through TSA security his checkpoints.”
If travelers are required to wrap gifts, use gift bags instead to simplify the security screening process.
