COLUMBUS, Ohio – Nearly a quarter of a million people will travel through Port Columbus during the Thanksgiving holiday, according to an airport spokeswoman.
About 2,700 total flights, with 243,000 seats available, fly into and out of Port Columbus from Friday, Nov. 22, through Monday, Dec. 2 with Sunday being the peak day. An estimated 296 flights will carry 27,032 passengers through the airport on Sunday, according to Angie Tabor, Communications and Media Relations manager for the Columbus Regional Airport Authority.
Roads will be busy as well. Holiday traffic on the day before Thanksgiving this year could be 3 percent higher than last year, according to the traffic monitoring firm INRIX.
The company attributes the expected increase mainly to lower gas prices. Some oil industry analysts think gas prices this Thanksgiving could be the lowest since 2010.
Something else that may affect how many Americans travel this Thanksgiving is the fact that the holiday falls during the eight-day observance of Hanukkah.
Tabor has these tips for making holiday travel a little less painful:
Give yourself enough time to arrive at the airport early.
Wear easily-removable shoes.
Make sure to have government-issued identification and boarding pass
To navigate airport security quickly, place a quart-sized, zip-top bag with containers of liquids, gels and aerosols in the front pocket of your carry-on for easy accessibility. Each container must be 3.4 ounces or less.]
Visit TSA.gov or download the MyTSA app to review the prohibited items list for both carry-on and checked baggage.