Tucson International Airport expects near pre-pandemic holiday travel levels

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TUCSON, Arizona (KOLD News 13) – Thanksgiving is just around the corner. This year, tourist traffic is expected to reach levels that we have not seen since the pandemic.

“We do very well here in Tucson compared to other airports. Our recovery was a little faster, ”said Bruce Goetz, the chief operating officer of the Tucson Airport Authority.

Goetz expects more than 30,000 passengers to depart Tucson in Thanksgiving week. That’s close to the level of vacation trips we saw in 2019.

“I would encourage people to be here at least 90 minutes early,” he said. “Our busiest Thanksgiving day is the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and then the Sunday and Monday after.”

He said most of the airport was adequately staffed, but the concession areas could use additional staff.

“What is typical for this industry and what every airport is seeing right now,” he said.

The deadline for vaccinating federal employees like TSA employees was originally set for the Monday of Thanksgiving. The federal government has extended the deadline for federal contractors to January 4th.

“We do not expect any disturbances due to the compulsory vaccination. The compliance rate is very high and we don’t have complete data yet, ”a TSA spokesman said in a statement to KOLD News 13.

Tucson Airport wants to ensure that passengers remember to mask themselves in the airport and on board their flights.

AAA expects 4.2 million Americans to fly for vacation. 80% more travelers compared to the previous year.

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