According to AAA an estimated 47-million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more to celebrate independence day – and many of them will be taking flights for the first time in several months.
Deputy Director of Marketing & PR, Scott Miller, says the airport is experiencing travel numbers that rival one of the busiest seasons ever.
"We're back to around 80% of where the airport was two years ago in 2018 and that was our busiest season ever."
Miller said the challenges he's seen and heard from people coming into HIA is that seats are scarce - and expensive.
“We only have about 82% of the seats we had two years ago at this time, but they're filling up like they haven’t before in more than a year...it's what the industry needed...but now the question is, how do we deal with it?"
It's not just seat shortages that are plaguing the airline industry this summer either - pilot and airline staffing shortages have caused companies like American Airlines to cancel flights across the country.
Miller says customer service issues, "we're hearing stories of people waiting for hours on the phone," are abundant as well.
He recommends that for anyone who needs to make a flight change or ask questions try to consult to app "or the airlines website so you know what to do without having to call."
For those who have booked a flight for this summer, Miller says the Harrisburg International Airport is well equipped to meet the needs of it's customers with mask mandates in place during the duration of your time in the airport & on the plane, tons of available long-term parking and short wait times through security, he notes, "as long as you are prepared...have all your information and paperwork out, have your airline app downloaded & ready to use because if you come prepared - you'll have a fine process."