Wilmington Airport gears up for Thanksgiving rush as families reunite for the holiday

NEW HANOVER COUNTY (WWAY) — Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel holidays, reuniting families across the country.   

With the holiday travel ramping up this week, Wilmington International Airport is prepping for an influx of people coming through.  

The busiest travel days around the Thanksgiving holiday this year will be Tuesday and Sunday. 

As families reunite and travel increases, airport director Jeff Bourk says there are some things you can do to avoid delays and minimize some of the stress that comes with air travel around the busy holiday.  

“Get here a little bit early, give yourself some extra time. Check with your airline before you leave your house, make sure that your flight is on time and on schedule,” said Bourk.  

With the airport undergoing construction for a new and improved look, Bourk says that the airport was prepared to go into the holiday season.  

“We have extra parking lots opened up, we’ve got this new curb front, temporary curb front, that’s open. We wanted to make sure the canopies were in place beforehand,” says Bourk. 

All these accommodations are what bring families like Steve Muench’s together for the holidays.  

With his son and family flying in from Connecticut to visit, he was there to be greeted by the biggest hugs from grandchildren.  

His son David says they had an easy travel day, and that holiday travel isn’t always a chore. 

“Don’t be anxious, it’s great,” says David Muench.  

It’s reunions like these that make the holiday air travel worth it.