Thanksgiving travel surges at El Paso International Airport

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — As millions of people travel for the Thanksgiving holiday, El Paso International Airport experienced its busiest day on Wednesday, with thousands of travelers arriving and departing.

Alfredo Salas, an El Paso resident, shared his emotional reunion with his daughters after more than a year apart. “I’m coming home. I live and work in Kuwait. I’ve been there for five years now, but this is the first time I’ve been here in a year and a half,” Salas said.

He described the moment as worth the nearly two days of travel. “It started yesterday, so you can imagine the struggles. Well, 30 hours flight,” he said.

Salas, like many others, is eager to spend the holidays with family and enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner together. “Enjoy a nice dinner? Enjoy pork. They don’t eat pork over [there],” he said.

Airport officials reported a 4% increase in holiday travel this weekend compared to 2023.

They expect parking lots to fill up over the next few days and encourage those picking up loved ones to be prepared.

Gael Trejo, who arrived at the airport to pick up his sister-in-law, aimed to make her arrival special after a long day of travel. “We wanted to make it fun for her,” Trejo said.

Officials anticipate heavy traveler traffic to continue through Sunday.

Travelers are advised to arrive early and prepare for possible limited parking.

RELATED:Increasing number of travelers picking Europe over the US for Thanksgiving trips

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