SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Travelers who are scheduled to depart in the early morning at Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) are strongly advised to arrive at the airport two hours before their scheduled departure due to the increase in early morning flights. The number of passengers who are flying out of the airport is greater than the passenger volume pre-pandemic.
Pre-pandemic, in 2019, SYR had the busiest year in three decades in terms of passenger volume, and just last month, throughput increased 8.5 percent above travel volume in April 2019. This has resulted in a very busy and congested terminal, especially first thing in the morning.
Much like highways, airports also have a rush hour and at SYR, it is often from 5 to 6 a.m., which is when the ticket counters and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint are the most congested. The checkpoint opens at 4 a.m. On a regular basis, more than 1,000 travelers are scheduled to pass through the checkpoint during the 5 to 6 a.m. window – which is beyond the capacity of the checkpoint. Arriving before that rush hour helps to redistribute some of the volume going through the checkpoint and ultimately reduce wait times.
More people becoming vaccinated and getting booster shots combined with the pent-up demand for travel during the pandemic have resulted in higher travel volume. Airlines have increased the number of flights to accommodate the demand and in many instances they have been placing larger aircraft in service to handle the increase in passengers. As a result, the airlines have scheduled more and larger flights in the early morning hours out of SYR.
On average, there are 15 flights out of Syracuse before 8 a.m., which is when people can expect to see the longest lines in the airport. Due to the small early-morning window for people to get to their gates on time, it is important for travelers to arrive in the terminal two hours prior to their scheduled flights.
“We share our passengers’ enthusiasm that travel is returning to not only pre-pandemic levels, but greater than pre-pandemic levels,” said Syracuse Regional Airport Authority Executive Director Jason Terreri. “We are working hard to ensure our customers have the best customer experience possible, and a big portion of that simply begins with arriving to SYR with enough time to enjoy your time at our airport.”
“If you are planning to fly out of Syracuse Hancock International in the mornings, expect there to be a line at the security checkpoint between 5 and 6 a.m.,” said Bart R. Johnson, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Upstate New York. “The number of travelers during that time of the morning exceeds the capacity of the checkpoint so be prepared to wait in line. Our TSA officers are good at their jobs and continue to screen people and their belongings efficiently.”
Passengers can do their part by using time in a checkpoint line wisely. That’s the ideal time to remove items from pockets and place them into carry-on bags. It’s also when passengers should be getting their ID and boarding pass ready to be validated. Taking those steps will help speed the line once travelers arrive at the travel document checking podium.