Nearly 44 million Americans are expected to travel this Memorial Day weekend, potentially making it the busiest in nearly 20 years, according to AAA.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — About 44 million Americans are expected to travel this Memorial Day weekend, according to AAA, potentially making it the busiest in nearly 20 years.
Passenger numbers at Albuquerque International Airport are expected to hit a record high this weekend.
“People are excited to travel again,” Sunport spokeswoman Leah Black said. “We were looking at our numbers using 2019, pre-COVID, as a barometer. That's not the case anymore.”
The weekend holiday rush began Thursday, with more than 53,000 flights scheduled across the country, busier than last year's Thanksgiving travel rush.
The Sunport doesn't expect to slow down at all through the weekend.
“We expect approximately 90,000 people to attend over the four-day weekend,” Black said.
That's a 4.5% increase from last year, but Sunport travelers weren't worried.
As for the renovations, the new TSA area is fully open, and the food court is still under construction but is hidden from travelers.
Black advises travelers to arrive early to catch their flight.
“I know it's going to be really hard,” she said.
If you have an early Friday morning flight, you might think you can avoid the crowds, but the Sunport Airport actually expects the most people to be at the airport between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Friday.
