May 23—The Albuquerque International Sunport will be open to passengers within the city this weekend.
Officials expect passenger numbers to hit 90,000 from Friday through Monday, or 16,000 to 20,000 per day. That's a 4.5% increase from Memorial Day weekend (last week) and an 18% increase from 2022, Sunport spokeswoman Diana Lopez said.
She said parking lots at the Sunport have been filling up in recent days and encouraged travelers to allow extra time for parking and security checks.
Meanwhile, people using the roads may also face congestion, with travel numbers expected to reach record levels.
Gas prices are down from last year's Memorial Day weekend.
In New Mexico, the average price of regular unleaded gasoline on Thursday was $3.28 a gallon, down 8 cents from last week's average price and 23 cents from the same day last year. The national average gasoline price was $3.61 a gallon, according to AAA New Mexico Weekend Gas Watch.
Drivers in Farmington, New Mexico, paid $3.31 a gallon, the most in the state, while drivers in Albuquerque paid $3.28.
Gas demand increased last week. The Energy Information Administration reported the week-over-week increase was from 8.87 million barrels per day to 9.3 million barrels per day.
Gas prices may fluctuate over the weekend depending on demand, according to AAA.
An estimated 3.5 million mountain residents are expected to travel on Memorial Day, including a record number of drivers.
“3.1 million Mountain Region residents are preparing to take a road trip this weekend, setting a new regional record for Memorial Day travel,” AAA spokesman Daniel Armbruster said in a news release. “Gas prices may fluctuate over the holiday weekend.”
