PEORIA, Ill. – Officials at Peoria International Airport expect a very busy end of the year as people travel for the holidays.
Director of Airports Gene Olson says around 25-thousand seats are available on flights from now until New Year’s Eve, and expects flights to be at least 80 percent full.
He says it’s a busier time than the Thanksgiving travel season.
“There’s more seats available,” Olson said. “I think the Friday before New Year’s Eve, we have over 3,000 seats coming through Peoria. And that’s a busier day than any day we had in November. And it’s also the busiest day of the last two weeks of the year.”
Airlines are also adding more flights, with a net gain of six more flights this month compared to December of last year.
Olson does not anticipate many problems occurring at the airport in the final weeks of the year, saying they are equipped to handle all the travelers.
“I’m crossing my fingers and hoping for good weather. Because the only thing that really messes anything up for holiday travel is bad weather. And that’s just something that nobody can do anything about,” Olson said.
Olson says rain and snow are not what causes problems with the weather, it’s low visibility and ice that can cause flights to be delayed.
For those traveling through PIA in the upcoming days, Olson says to arrive around two hours before your scheduled departure in order to avoid any headaches with check-ins. He also says people who are parking at the airport should hide all valuables and lock their vehicles.
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