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- Salt Lake City International Airport expected up to 30,000 travelers Friday as holiday travel season begins.
- The busiest travel days will be Sunday to Tuesday, with post-Christmas crowds also anticipated.
- Officials advise arriving much earlier than normal due to busy security lines, but report smooth operations thus far.
SALT LAKE CITY – Just under 30,000 people were expected to make their way through Salt Lake City International Airport on Friday as the holiday travel season heats up.
This weekend will get even busier.
According to airport operations director Treber Andersen, the busiest travel days will be Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Millions of people nationwide are expected to fly somewhere this holiday season, AAA reported.
Crowds at the Salt Lake airport are expected to pick up again after Christmas.
"Yeah, we are seeing (a) few lines today just as we get into the weekend," Andersen said, "people getting out of town a little bit early."
Some people love traveling at Christmastime. Shaun Shakib and his family, who live in Salt Lake City, travel to Germany every year to visit family.
"Germany's fun over Christmas," Shakib said. "It's really a great place to go."
Others tend to avoid holiday travel, like Jessica Aiello.
"We are really big homebodies," said Aiello, who lives in Sandy. "We usually love to stay at home and have the big Christmas tree."
But she and her family decided to travel this Christmas. Like the Shakibs, they are also going to Germany.
"We're trying something new this year with the kids getting older," Aiello said.
Security lines at the Salt Lake airport were busy on Friday, so officials recommend arriving two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international departures.
This year, there's no snow complicating things at the airport, and so far, things are smooth.
"We're obviously keeping an eye around the country," Andersen said. "Today, Denver's having a lot of delays just with the wind that they're having, and even though it's windy here, (it's) nothing like what Denver's having right now. So, flights are moving, and things are looking pretty good."
"It's not as hectic as I've seen it in the past," Aiello added. "So, fingers crossed that it is a nice easy transition through security."
For tips on a smooth holiday travel experience this year, visit the Salt Lake airport's website.
