Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport prepares for record-breaking travel ahead of Thanksgiving

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) – Many of you will be hitting the roads or taking to the skies to see loved ones Wednesday morning in time for Thanksgiving.

Experts are predicting that this year’s holiday travel is going to break records. Nearly 6 million Americans are preparing to travel by plane this Thanksgiving.

Airport representatives say ahead of the holiday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be the busiest days at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport.

They also say Sunday and Monday will be the busiest days for the return home.

For people that don’t travel through the airport regularly, here is some insight on what you need to prepare for if you’re headed out later on Wednesday or anytime over the holiday weekend.

“If you travel during the summer, it’s going to look like a busy summer weekend. But some folks only travel on the holidays, and they might be a little surprised. But we’ve had growth every year. It’s going to be the same this year, probably about 5% more passengers that traveled last Thanksgiving will go through here this year. So, it’s just a really busy time, and you just have to be prepared,” said Lori Lynah, the Director of Marketing and Airport Services.

There will also be additional parking, as always. However, this year, the airport has a new paved lot for people to park their cars.

There are also a few recommendations on when you should arrive at the airport before your flight takes off.

“Get here two hours before your flight if you’re going to park. 90 minutes if you’re not. I mean I always say if you’re walking in the door with 90 minutes to go, you’ve got plenty of time and you don’t need to panic and get nervous and all of that. But you might encounter lines at the ticket counter if you have to check your bag. You know you do still have to get through the whole security process, so 90 minutes gives you plenty of time,” said Lynah.

The Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport expanded its security checkpoint earlier this month, which will hopefully speed up the TSA precheck process when lines start to back up.

The checkpoint is in a new building where Gate 1 used to be that has more space for passengers and TSA officers.

Another thing that will help is double-checking what items you can and cannot have in your luggage and carry ons. All of that information can be found on TSA.gov.

Another great tip is to check your airline’s app for specific information about your flight, including things like delays or cancellations.

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