Savannah/HHI airport expecting 10,000 flight passengers Wednesday

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Wednesday will be a busy day across the nation for travel – not just on the roads but also up in the sky.

Wednesday will be the Savannah-Hilton Head Island International Airport’s busiest day of the week with about 10,000 passengers flying in and out of the airport on Wednesday alone.

Those numbers are about 10 percent higher than they were last year which is higher than pre-pandemic, so they are once again on record setting pace.

Because of all the people, the airport recommends getting here early, especially if you plan to park.

They just finished their rental car parking project which opens back up 500 spaces, but they have their overflow parking ready to go.

Airport officials say it’s also a good idea to pack extra snacks in case you have unexpected delays or cancellations.

“I think the airlines learned a lot this summer so I believe that got a lot of plans in place should there be problems, whether they are maintenance, mechanical, weather, or anything like that, they know how important it is to have a backup plan and have things set in order to cover passengers that might be off of a canceled flight,” said Lori Lynah with the Savannah Hilton Head Island International Airport.

Across the nation, AAA estimates 4.5 million Americans will fly to their Thanksgiving destinations this year. That’s up about eight percent from last year.

Around 70,000 people will pass through the airport for the holiday with the busiest days being today and then again on Sunday.

Even though today is a big day, the Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport started seeing numbers pick up for the holiday at the end of last week.

This year, airfare prices are up about 22 percent from last year according to AAA. However, even with those higher prices, the Savannah airport is on a record setting pace for the holiday.

WTOC spoke with some people who were flying into Savannah for Thanksgiving – the two things just about everyone said they were most thankful for are family and food.

“And I’m here to visit my grandmother, it is wonderful, we seldom see him because he is from New Zealand,” said Tim Schuchardt and Ann Klein.

“And we will probably just spend a lot of time with the grandchildren, I made them over 75 cut out cookies and they will enjoy it, they will have a ball, they are all from college so I am anxious to see them,” said Kathy Nelson from Buffalo, New York.

“Yes, good food, my grandchildren always like my food,” said Ann Klein.

“Yes, she is an incredible cook,” said Tim Schuchardt.

If you are flying with homemade cookies or any other gifts, make sure they are unwrapped before going through the security checkpoint.

Arrive early at the airport if you are catching a flight today, and if you are picking someone up, be sure to wait in the cellphone lot so you can keep things moving at the curb. Also a good idea to check traffic on I-95 before coming to the airport to see if another route might be better.