PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) — Millions of people were expected to travel during the Christmas holiday across the nation. Here locally, Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport also saw a high number of travelers.
“We started running into some pretty good numbers, so we thought it was going to be a very active Christmas holiday and New Years’ holiday,” said Airport Deputy Executive Director Richard Mcconnell.
Airlines said travel numbers were steady throughout the Christmas holiday week, and although exact figures aren’t out yet, leaders said they expect the upward trend to continue.
Mcconnell said business has been good.
“Our parking lots actually went into overflow for the first time in quite a while on Christmas Day, so we were very excited to see that our activity levels had gone up,” said Mcconnell.
Airport officials said they see this activity as a good sign during the pandemic.
“It’s actually very positive. It’s interesting to see how this airport and this community bounced like it did. It’s very positive and we’re looking forward to 2021.” said Mcconnell.
If you are traveling ahead of the New Years’ holiday, remember to follow CDC protocols, including Social distancing, washing your hands, and wearing a mask.
“We have a mask required policy inside the terminal buildings, we want to keep our passengers as safe as possible. So please please wear your masks, be cognizant of the people around you, and maintain your social distancing,” said Mcconnell.
For a full list of what you can bring, follow the link below.
What Can I Bring? | Transportation Security Administration (tsa.gov)
