SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) is expecting about 50,000 departing passengers during this year’s Thanksgiving travel period.
The travel timeframe extends from Friday, Nov. 22 through Tuesday, Dec. 3, the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority (SRAA) said in its announcement.
The 50,000 departing-passenger figure is about the same number of travelers as departed a year ago, the SRAA said.
Taking into account both arriving and departing passengers, the airport will see over 100,000 total passengers during the Thanksgiving travel period. Available seats are similar to last year, despite the exit of Southwest Airlines from the market, the authority noted.
The eight commercial-service airlines currently operating at SYR have increased service to accommodate the “strong demand” for air travel in the region.
SRAA went on to say that the airport expects to reach 3 million total passengers (arrivals and departures) during the 2024 calendar year, which would be an all-time high for the airport.
At the national level, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects the three busiest Thanksgiving travel days to be Tuesday, Nov. 26; Wednesday, Nov. 27; and Sunday, Dec. 1.
Locally, Saturday, Nov. 30; Sunday, Dec. 1; and Monday, Dec. 2 are expected to be the busiest travel days at SYR. Each of these days, the airport expects between 10,500 and 11,500 passengers will pass through the airport on departing or arriving flights.
“The SRAA and our airport partners are eager to welcome holiday travelers to our growing airport,” Jason Terreri, SRAA executive director, said in the announcement. “Thanksgiving travelers will notice quite a bit of construction throughout the terminal. We’ve worked tirelessly to ensure the progress our team is making on these important projects continues while seamlessly providing a top-notch airport customer experience for our passengers.”
New last year, the TSA security checkpoint opens at 3:30 a.m. to better accommodate the early “bank,” or cluster, of flights departing SYR. Travelers are “strongly encouraged” to arrive to the airport two hours prior to their scheduled departure, and “it is imperative to do so” during the busy departure banks of 4-6 a.m.; 10 a.m.-12 p.m.; and 4-6 p.m.
Travelers driving and parking at the Syracuse airport are encouraged to monitor drive-up parking availability in near-real-time on the airport’s parking webpage, the SRAA said.
The authority also urges travelers to download their airline’s mobile app to receive rapid updates on the status of their flight and make changes in the event of delays or cancellations.