Airport Commission Advises Getting to the Airport Early
Summer travel time is here and passengers flying out of the Roanoke Regional Airport – especially those during the early morning hours – should expect long lines at the security checkpoint. In the interest of every passenger being able to get to their destination in a timely manner, the Roanoke Regional Airport Commission is advising its passengers to arrive at the airport at least an hour and a half to two hours in advance of the departure time and to proceed as soon as possible through the screening checkpoint. Delta Connection Carriers, Northwest Airlink, United Express, and US Airways Express all open their ticket counters at 4:30 a.m. Allegiant Air opens their ticket counter two hours prior to flight departures.
As a result of the airlines making adjustments to their schedules, there are eight flights departing the airport during a very short period of time. Between 5:50 and 7:45 a.m. the airlines have scheduled flights to Charlotte, Chicago, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Washington Dulles and LaGuardia. The number of passengers expected to depart during that two hour time period will make up nearly a third of all passengers flying out in one entire day. In addition, six out of eight flights are expected to depart in just a forty minute time period.
The Roanoke Regional Airport Commission stresses during the summer months, when there are more travelers in general - in particular leisure travelers, please plan ahead and get your trip started on the right foot by getting to the airport early, packing light and checking out the Transportation Security Administration?s website at www.tsa.gov for all the latest guidelines for travel.