Next week is Spring Break for public schools across the area, and that means a busy travel time at the Greater Rochester International Airport.
About 50,000 departing passengers are expected over the coming days, with the busiest day coming Thursday, said airport director Andy Moore.
"You know, school on Fridays is not overly productive before a break," he said, "and so people try to get out a little bit early.”
The influx of travelers on Thursday as well as Friday could bring an uptick in wait times at security checkpoints, he said.
Nothing like the backlogs seen at airports across the nation where a partial shutdown of the federal government affecting the Transportation Security Administration has led to staffing shortages of agents. Here in Rochester there have been no such problems, Moore said. That's because Rochester is one of 20 airports nationally where TSA contracts with private security, through what's called the Screening Partnership Program.
That program, and the TSA, was created after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, as the federal government took over airport screening. Rochester was one of the first five airports in what was then a pilot, or test program to continue using private firms, Moore said. Prior to that, the airport had a private screening company that was hired by the airlines.
“I just ask people come, you know, about an hour and a half before your departure time," Moore said, returning to the upcoming holiday travel period. "Be patient, and we'll get you through the checkpoint as best we can.”
The morning hours are the busiest, he said, with more than a dozen scheduled departures before 7:30 a.m.
