Local holiday travel underway

RANKIN CO., Miss. (WLBT) – Booked and busy is how leaders describe the inside of the airport.

They say it’s now the beginning of peak travel season, and they are expecting bookings to continue to fly through the roof.

Hundreds of passengers and their families flood the inside of the Jackson airport with bags in hand. That’s just how busy it was throughout Tuesday alone.

“We are traveling back to South Africa for the holiday. We are actually from there. We just work here in the States. We are excited to go back home and spend some time with the family,” said Barend Blucknote.

Those we spoke with were all excited to get to their loved ones for the Thanksgiving holiday.

“I’m excited. I’m coming to see momma. We’re going to eat good and just relax. It’s always a pleasure,” Monica Barnes, who traveled from Atlanta for the Thanksgiving holiday, said.

For some travelers, flying was the most convenient way for them to get to their destination this year.

“Usually, I drive, but I just couldn’t do it. It was six hours. I said no, the flight is much better. Fifty minutes and I’m here,” Barnes said. Communications Director LSherie Deans says they are averaging about 4,000 passengers a day.

“For this holiday, Thanksgiving, the trend is looking more so towards December 2 for this peak season. It should jump back up mid-December for folks flying in for the Christmas and New Year holidays,” she said. Nationally, about 80 million people are projected to travel for Thanksgiving.

That number tops the pre-pandemic holiday travel numbers, according to Camden News.

Leaders at the airport are urging you to arrive as early as possible to ensure that you’re checked in properly and to check the status of your flight.

Want more WLBT news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please click here to report it and include the headline of the story in your email.

Copyright 2024 WLBT. All rights reserved.