Post Thanksgiving travel slump

SALISBURY, Md. — Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days of the year, and officials at Salisbury Regional Airport are already noticing the travel surge.

Salisbury Regional Airport Director Tony Rudy said, “Thanksgiving, obviously, is the busiest travel time of the year. We do see a little bump in passengers, and our flights are generally pretty full.”

Rudy explained that even at an airport the size of Salisbury’s, there has been an increase in passengers.

“You may not notice it here as much as you would at larger airports, but it’s a busy travel time, and the flights are probably as full as they would be all year,” Rudy said.

Numbers at the airport have been rising since the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s a good trend to have,” Rudy said. “Now, with a new airline here, we’re definitely seeing more people traveling through.”

After a busy holiday season, airports typically experience a brief drop in traffic.

“It does drop off a little bit after Thanksgiving, for obvious reasons,” Rudy said. “But it will pick back up going into the Christmas holiday.”

Although Thanksgiving is over, the holiday season is just beginning. Airport officials recommend travelers book tickets ahead of time during this brief travel lull.

“Today is a good day,” Rudy said. “I know Breeze Airways has a special going on through the end of the day, and American Airlines has a special through the end of tomorrow.”

Officials also suggest flexible travel plans as the holiday season approaches.

“Fly out a little earlier than you normally would to avoid traveling right up to the holiday,” Rudy advised. “And coming back a day or two later can save you a lot of headaches.”

Rudy added that booking now can help travelers save time and avoid stress later.