OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The holiday season is like the super bowl for those in the travel industry and for airlines, there isn’t a bigger week than the one around Thanksgiving.
“The busiest travel day we have is next Monday, the second busiest travel day we have is tomorrow,” said Tim Schmitt, Chief Operating Officer for Eppley Airport.
Over the last two years, holidays haven’t brought the crowds that are normally seen around Thanksgiving but Schmitt says as the number of pandemic-related restrictions has gone down the number of passengers has gone up.
“We are expecting approximately 173,000 passengers to fly through the terminal in this thanksgiving period. This is a 4.2% increase over 2021 and if you want some further comparison and go back to pre-pandemic travel periods that’s a .5% increase,” said Schmitt
More travelers combined with tight staffing margins means passengers will need to pack more than just a carry-on when they head to the airport.
“Pack your patience. It's gonna be busy throughout the whole airline travel industry. Your destination, connecting city airports, please understand with increased activities please be patient during your travels,” said Schmitt.
Check out tsa.gov for lists of what you can and can’t take through security and you can also check out flyoma.com or the FlyOMA app for flight times and parking information at Eppley Airfield.
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