Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) published a press release recently advising travelers to prepare for increased traffic and passenger counts.
Passenger counts for Christmas 2022 and New Year's are expected to be record-breaking, with 15% more passengers expected to fly during the holidays than in 2021; the release said. PSP expects more than 35,000 people to depart from the airport during this time, with Dec. 23 being the busiest single day as more than 8,000 passengers are expected to fly out.
“We’re planning for a very busy holiday season this year,” Harry Barrett, PSP’s executive director of Aviation, said in the release. “We recently had our busiest Thanksgiving, and we’re expecting travel for Christmas and New Year’s to be record-setting too. We’re asking travelers to plan ahead and arrive early so they don’t miss their flight.”
PSP is currently advising travelers to arrive early and plan ahead. Those who plan on checking luggage are encouraged to arrive two and a half hours ahead of their departure time, while those who only have a carry-on are encouraged to arrive 90 minutes early. Additionally, with parking lots expected to reach full capacity, PSP is encouraging travelers to use a rideshare or taxi to get to the airport.
PSP is also offering simple travel tips such as following the airport's Facebook and Twitter pages for quick access to information regarding parking and more. They've also recommended checking in for flights before arriving at the airport as well as monitoring the status of a flight before heading to PSP. Additionally, officials have advised travelers to familiarize themselves with what is and isn't allowed by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which can be done by visiting the official TSA website.