Nearly 81 million Americans will be traveling for Thanksgiving holiday, including flying in the skies. This comes after TSA agents are back to working full time following the government shutdown.
It was busy at the Erie International Airport as people were boarding a flight to Charlotte for the holiday weekend.
Gavin Worgon, who was leaving for Charlotte said, “It’s been 40 years since I have been on an airplane and I’m looking forward to it.”
Customers are hoping to get out of town before any weather hits, but airport officials said the weather is not a concern.
Derek Martin, the Executive Director of the Erie International Airport said, “Connectivity too and from Charlotte, Orlando, and Tampa, should not be affected. It’s not supposed to start until Wednesday night, so all our departing flights should not be affected and be gone by the time the snow actually arrives.”
Martin said since adding the flights to Florida, they have seen an increase of customers, but there are some passengers that enjoy and take advantage of the flights to Charlotte.
Like Worgon taking advantage of the direct flight, “It’s amazing. I got a one direction right to charlotte in a city, I’m very familiar with. It seems like everything is a breeze.”
This comes as airport officials are looking to add more places in and out of Erie.
“We are looking for additional destinations. They are waiting to secure gates at other airports. That’s where three issue is, gate space availability”, said Martin.
The airport is also in a holding pattern as they like many other airports wait to see what funding has been approved following the government shutdown.
According to Martin, “We are trying to see what’s happening. Obviously, the government just opened back up, a lot of the grants and bills have not been approved. I think there are seven to eight bills that have not been approved to move forward and that’s the 2025 fiscal year budget. That’s where the challenge is, trying to figure out where the funding is since the shut down.”
The flights to and from Orlando through Breeze picks up again in February and will run for several weeks.