TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Spring break has arrived and summer is on the horizon. For the Tucson International Airport, this has led to an increasing amount of passengers coming and going out of TUS.
On Friday, Mar. 3, TSA screened 7,596 people, which is the highest single-day total since the start of the pandemic.
“Friday was our busiest day since before the pandemic. We can attribute it to several things in Tucson like the book festival, the Cologuard Classic, and also we see some of our travelers heading back home as the season starts to wind down," said Austin Wright, Chief Communications Officer of TUS.
March 2023 is currently on track to be the busiest month since the start of the pandemic, even more than November or December during the holiday travel rush. TUS officials say with recent local events, weather, and spring break, it has been busy in the sky and on the ground.
“We have seen bigger aircraft on the routes flying out of Tucson. So we're expecting to have a busy summer, it'll be no different than spring break," said Wright.
Something else to keep top of mind ahead of summer travel is some airlines have changed summer flight schedules in anticipation of a record number of travelers. If you've already booked a flight for May, June, July or August, there is a chance your departure time or day of travel has been changed.
Since the demand for travel has rebounded after post-pandemic lockdowns, airlines have had a hard time predicting travel trends. Before the start of the pandemic, airlines used historical data to plan out flights but that’s not the case today as the demand for travel continues to be underestimated and understaffed.
TUS recommends passengers arrive an hour and a half to two hours ahead of time and use the airport resources to navigate your travel day like the volunteers, interactive maps, parking and some patience.
"We're expecting a lot of travelers, but it's an easy airport to use, so for our customers, it's a great opportunity to connect with their local community and use Tucson as their point of transit," said Wright.
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Brooke Chau is a reporter for KGUN 9. She was a part of Fresno State's newscast, Fresno State Focus and interned at KFSN-ABC30 in Fresno, CA before coming to KGUN 9. Share your story ideas and important issues with Brooke by emailing brooke.chau@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
