Thursday is expected to be the busiest day of holiday travel this year, according to airport officials with the Raleigh-Durham International Airport. At least 37,000 people are expected to fly out of the airport on Thursday.
YOU CAN FIND THE COVID VACCINE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS SECTION ON THE HOME PAGE OF WRAL.COM. >> AS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT MILLIONS OF AMERICANS ARE HEADED HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS AND MANY ARE GOING BY PLANE. WE HAVE SEEN A VARIETY OF THINGS. SOMETIMES WE HAVE SEEN LINES SNAKE AROUND RDU AIRPORT AND OTHER TIMES PASSENGERS CAN WALK RIGHT THROUGH. SHOW US WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AT LUNCH TIME. >> Reporter: YOU KNOW, I’M ORIGINALLY FROM CHICAGO. SO I’M USED TO O’HARE AIRPORT. I’M HAPPY WITH WHAT I’M SEEING HERE AT RDU. REALLY SMOOTH AS CARS ARE COMING INTO THE ARRIVAL AREA HERE AT DELTA. I’M GOING TO TAKE YOU INSIDE WITH THIS PASSENGER. THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE BUSIEST TRAVEL DAY FOR RDU. DECEMBER23. AS YOU CAN SEE, THOUGH, AS WE ENTER THE AREA, IT IS PRETTY CALM RIGHT NOW. REALLY DIFFERENT STORY, THOUGH. THIS MORNING BETWEEN 5:00 AND 8:00 A.M., THERE WERE LINES EVERYWHERE IN FRONT OF AMERICAN, DELTA AND CERTAINLY SECURITY. NOW WE KNOW MANY PEOPLE ARE FEELING A LITTLE NERVOUS BECAUSE OF THIS OMICRON. WE HAVEN’T OBSERVED A SINGLE PERSON NOT WEARING A MASK INSIDE THE AIRPORT. BUT COVID NOT SLOWING PEOPLE’S WANT TO TRAVEL. YESTERDAY NUMBERS WERE UP COMPARED TO DECEMBER 22. THE SAME DAY 2020 AND 2019. WE STUCK WITH A FAMILY FROM APEX HEADED TO TEXAS. ONE OF THEIR DAUGHTERS ACTUALLY JUST GOT BACK FROM GERMANY. >> WHAT WAS TRAVELING FROM EUROPE BACK TO HERE LIKE? >> IT WAS STRESSFUL. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A NEGATIVE TEST WITHIN 24 HOURS OF GETTING BACK. SO I HAD TO GO TO THE AIRPORT, GET IT, GET THE TESTS DONE AND MAKE SURE IT WAS READY TO GO TO HAVE ALL MY VACCINATIONS AND EVERYTHING TO GET ON THE PLANE. >> Reporter: DO YOU THINK FOLKS ON DOMESTIC FLIGHTS SHOULDN’T NEED TO HAVE NEGATIVE TESTS? >> I DON’T THINK IT WOULD HURT. >> Reporter: NOW RDU EXPECTS NEARLY HALF A MILLION TRAVELERS HERE BETWEEN THE 18th OF DECEMBER AND JANUARY 2, WITH TODAY BEING THE BUSIEST DAY CHRISTMAS EVE EVE. I JUST SPOKE WITH RDU. THEY TOLD ME THEY WANT TO RELAY SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION. MAINLY BOTH ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES CAN BE USED AS PICKUPS FOR PEOPLE RIGHT NOW. SO IT IS OKAY. IF YOU WANT TO PICK UP SOMEONE FROM ARRIVALS. IF YOU ARE WAITING THOUGH, FOR SOMEONE TO GET HERE, AND YOU WANT TO PICK THEM UP AND THEIR FLIGHT HASN’T LANDED YET, THEY WANT YOU TO BE AT THE 1000 TRADE DRIVE CELL PHONE LOT. THAT WILL HELP KEEP THINGS NICE AND MOVING QUICKLY. AND SMOOTHLY. >>> GLAD TO SEE RIGHT NOW THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING.
Source: https://www.wral.com/tsa-more-people-traveling-compared-to-2019-2020/20048702/