SLC International bracing for busy holiday weekend

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Travel for the Memorial Day Weekend is well underway.

Thursday was just the beginning of one of the biggest travel weekends of the year.

Nancy Volmer, spokeswoman for Salt Lake City International Airport said 26,000 people are expected to arrive at the airport Thursday with the same number of passengers departing.

That number grows Friday. “Then tomorrow, about 27,000,” Volmer said. 

Take a look at the line: It’s growing!👀

If you’re flying today, give yourself extra time.⏰

(We’ve all been there: Save yourself from being the person running through the airport!😆)

The @slcairport says there’s some downtime from 11-12 here.

See you at noon on @KSL5TV! pic.twitter.com/tzRazCe5aX

— Karah Brackin (@kbontv) May 25, 2023

Karol Poston arrived Thursday morning in time for a celebration later in the evening.

“Eight o’clock tonight, eldest granddaughter’s graduating from high school,” Poston said.

There are ways to make traveling easier by thinking ahead.

“Know what’s in your carry-on, so when you have items that are prohibited and you go through the TSA checkpoint, that just delays everybody who is not just yourself but other passengers as well,” Volmer said. 

Getting to the airport early does not hurt, either.

“This is my first time traveling on Memorial Day. I’m feeling good so far. I feel like I got here pretty early, so I’m lucking out so far,” traveler Ben Lindsey said.

The airport is also opening some new paths for travelers to make things easier just in time for the holiday traffic. That includes the east side of Concourse A.

“We have about more than 300 daily nonstop flights to more than 90 destinations, and we also are seeing new service continually,” Volmer said.