Springfield-Branson National Airport officials want you to arrive at the airport two hours before your flight is set to leave. That’s because the summer travel season has arrived, and the airport is busier than ever. Nationwide, the airline lobbying organization, Airlines for America, expects more than 257 million passengers will travel on U.S. airlines between June 1 and the end of August.
Airport spokesman Kent Boyd said passenger numbers have increased 43 percent over the past five years at the Springfield airport. That has resulted in airport parking lots that are near capacity. It often takes longer to find a parking spot, he said, than it used to. Plans are in place to expand the lots. And wait times in lines have “increased substantially,” he said, especially at the security check point and airline ticket counters.
In addition to arriving two hours early, you should have your I.D. out and ready to show to screening personnel, take all food and electronic devices out of your carry-on bags and place them in the conveyor bins.
You can bypass the airline ticket counter line if you don’t have to check a bag by checking into your flight on your airline’s website or mobile app. And fliers may apply for TSA PreCheck from the Transportation Security Administration. If they’re approved, they don’t need to remove shoes, laptops, liquids, belts and light jackets when going through the security checkpoint.
