MKE airport expects 16K passengers to pass through Wednesday

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- While many people are just finalizing their dinner menu for Thanksgiving, others are still making their way to their destinations. 

MKE is expecting 16,000 passengers to pass through the airport the day before Thanksgiving. It's a peak travel day. Airport officials said between 3:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m., they saw about 2,000 people an hour. Still, lines moved relatively quick. Passengers were even surprised to see how short the lines were.

"We got here pretty early, but we have lots of time to spare," said Martica Hazelwood. 

TSA says they're staffed and prepared for a surge of people, and they're reminding flyers to review the TSA checklist online before heading to the airport. 

"Passengers can bring solid foods such as pies, cookies and other baked goods to the checkpoints, but remember, keeping your carry-on luggage uncluttered may lead to fewer bag checks and shorter wait times," said Mark Lendvay, TSA's local federal security director. 

For people like Calvin Marshall, who just arrived in Milwaukee from other airports, he's thankful to see how relaxed everything is. A much different sight than the Baltimore airport he was just at. 

"I was just surprised by how backed up it was. Even going through TSA pre, where it's usually a breeze to go through," said Marshall. "This long line was just to get the boarding pass." 

Throughout the week, 100,000 thousand people are expected to pass through MKE.