Officials at the Indianapolis Airport Authority are alerting air travelers to expect near pre-pandemic passenger traffic levels at the Indianapolis International Airport (IND) surrounding the Thanksgiving holiday.
While Transportation Safety Administration is staffed and prepared for the holiday surge, it anticipates more than 20 million passengers nationwide will file through security checkpoints. For Indianapolis, that is expected to translate to nearly 90,000 passengers, with peak outbound travel days of Saturday, Sunday and Monday reaching more than 15,000 passengers per day from Nov. 24 – 30.
Airport officials advise travelers to plan ahead, pack smart, and get to the airport early to help make their travel experience as smooth as possible.
Early morning flights (5 a.m. – 7 a.m.) are the most impacted and airport officials encourage travelers flying out during this timeframe to arrive at least two hours early.
TSA checkpoint A opens at 3:30 a.m. and checkpoint B opens at 4:15 a.m. Hoosiers can process through either TSA checkpoint and proceed to their gate. TSA PreCheck is only available on checkpoint A. Airline ticket counters opening time varies, but generally they open two hours before flight departure.
The Indy airport also strongly encourages travelers to sign up for TSA PreCheck at https://www.tsa.gov/precheck for a smoother screening process, which eliminates the need to remove shoes, belts, 3-1-1 liquids, laptops or light jackets. To help travelers pack smart, download the MyTSA app for access to the most frequently requested airport security information or use the helpful search feature on the TSA website to determine “What Can I Bring?” in a carry-on or checked bag.