After Masters, traffic takes off at Augusta Regional Airport
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Augusta Regional Airport is seeing a lot more engers than usual.
The staff from the airport says the Monday after the Masters Tournament is the busiest day of the year.
Officials estimate about 30,000 people traveled through the airport during Masters week – about the same number as during a regular month. But instead of departing over the course of a week, most of them are leaving Monday.
Some say it’s a race to the finish line.
“The Monday following The Masters is a mass exodus. We’ve had lines out here since our first flight. So probably since about 4 or 4:30 this morning, we started seeing the lines build up,” said Lauren Smith, assistant director of marketing for Augusta Regional Airport.
If you’re flying out, the biggest advice airport employees have is to give yourself plenty of time.
In fact, they encourage you to get there about three hours before your flight.
And it’s a good idea to check the Transportation Security istration guidelines to make sure everything is good to go on the plane.
But golf patrons will tell you it’s a race to the TSA line.
Carlos Martinangeli said: “Do you see the queue for TSA? I’m going to spend a couple of days in that queue. That’s why you have to arrive with enough time.”
Mac Albert said: “Today I’m getting here like three hours before my flight to make sure I get it. My mom missed her flight this morning, so she told me to get here as early as I could.”
Martinangeli arrived at the airport nearly four hours before his flight, but he says it still wasn’t enough time.
“I have to check in and I’ve been waiting for the people to disappear in this queue,” he said.
Smith says with more than 35 flights set to depart from Augusta, it makes for one of the busiest days of the year.
“We’ve seen thousands go through in one day but I think they expect about 3,500 people to come through. So a lot busier than our than our average day,” said Smith.
Martinangeli says no matter the wait, for the experience, he would do it all over.
“The Masters is the Masters. Every year I have the opportunity to come I do. Doesn’t matter the distance,” he said.
The airport is simultaneously handling people in town for the Masters who are now leaving, as well as local residents returning from spring break.
It’s a time when the airport also has more flights than usual because the airlines add nonstop flights to extra destinations to accommodate Masters patrons.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
