DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — It’s a busy week at Harrisburg International Airport, with many people making the trek home for the holiday.
HIA spokesman Scott Miller says 52,000 people are expected to fly in and out, a 2% increase from 2022.
“The 21st is the busiest day, the 25th will be the slowest day which makes sense, and then you’ll see peak days based upon the service levels that we have throughout next week and into the early part of the new year,” Miller said.
The airport expects more than 4,400 people to visit to pass through on December 26th, the second busiest travel day of the season.
“You look at capacity or seats available for sale on a daily basis and you’re going to stack them on the days that people are most likely going to fly,” Miller explained.
Dylan Linn, a passenger, flew in from Orlando, Florida on Saturday to see a special someone.
“I’m visiting my girlfriend for Christmas and the holidays,” Linn said.
Linn is just one of several thousand passengers expected to fly in from out of state before Christmas on Monday.
“Historically in the last few years this has been more of an inbound marker for the holidays than it’s been heading out,” Miller said.
Linn imagines flying home will be a breeze.
“I’m coming from a big airport like Orlando, and I had to show up three hours early to get through security. [Here,] I don’t have to worry about security,” Linn said.
If you travel by plane for the holiday, the airport has some travel tips.
- Download your airline app here.
- Know what to pack by visiting the TSA website.
- Arrive at the airport early.
- If traveling with children, explain the travel process to them before coming to the airport.