IF YOU HAVE TRAVEL PLANS THAT’LL TAKE YOU THROUGH THE SAVANNAH HILTON HEAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS .. YOU PROBABLY SHOULD PREPARE YOURSELF FOR A LOT MORE PEOPLE .. AS THE SPRING BREAK TRAVEL SEASON APPROACHES. WJCL 22 NEWS’ DAVE WILLIAMS TELLS YOU WHAT TO EXPECT. THERE IS ALREADY A PRETTY GOOD NUMBER OF PASSENGERS COMING THROUGH THE SAVANNAH HILTON HEAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON A DAILY BASIS. BUT THAT PALES IN COMPARISON WITH WHAT’S EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS AS SPRING BREAK AND ST. PATRICK’S DAY APPROACHES. “RIGHT NOW WE’RE SEEING ABOUT 6000 PASSENGERS A DAY ON AVERAGE WHEN WE GET INTO, THE MIDDLE OF MARCH, TOWARD THE SAINT PATRICK’S DAY PARADE, AND IN SPRING BREAK TIME PERIOD, YOU’LL SEE THAT GROW, TO ABOUT 8000 AT ITS PEAKS.” BUT SAVANNAH HILTON HEAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SHOULD BE BETTER ABLE TO HANDLE THAT INCREASE THIS YEAR, THANKS TO A NEW LARGER T-S-A CHECKPOINT AREA. “AS WE GET INTO THOSE, THOSE BUSY DAYS, WE’LL HAVE ALL HANDS ON DECK KIND OF SITUATION WHERE WE’LL BRING EVERYBODY IN, OPENED AS MANY LANES AS WE CAN TO GET THAT VOLUME THROUGH THERE.” WITH THAT EXPECTED INCREASE IN TRAVEL HERE AT THE SAVANNAH HILTON HEAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE SOME PRECAUTION TO MAKE SURE YOU GET HERE ON TIME AND NOT MISS YOUR FLIGHT. “WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU GET TO THE AIRPORT AT LEAST TWO HOURS PRIOR TO YOUR SCHEDULED DEPARTURE TIME. AND IF YOU’RE PLANNING TO PARK OR YOU’RE TAKING BACK A RENTAL CAR, FACTOR THAT IN ON TOP OF THAT, TWO HOURS TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUG

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If you have travel plans that will take you through the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport over the next few weeks, you probably should prepare yourself for a lot more people as the spring break travel season approaches. There is already a pretty good number of passengers coming through the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport daily.But that pales in comparison with what’s expected over the next few weeks as Spring Break and St. Patrick’s Day approaches. “Right now we’re seeing about 6,000 passengers a day on average,” said Mark Howell, TSA Regional spokesman. “When we get into the middle of March, toward the St. Patrick’s Day parade, and in spring break time period, you’ll see that grow, to about 8,000 at its peaks.”TRENDING STORIES Road expansion project: GDOT opens third lane on I-16 westbound in Chatham County’I can’t fork out $20 every time’: Hilton Head Beachgoers React to New Parking FeesLong County commissioner arrested amid FBI and GBI investigationBut Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport should be better able to handle that increase this year, thanks to a new larger TSA checkpoint area. “As we get into those busy days, we’ll have all hands on deck kind of situation where we’ll bring everybody in,” said Howell. “Open up as many lanes as we can to get that volume through there.” With that expected increase in travel at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport over the next few weeks, you might want to take some precautions to make sure you get there on time and not miss your flight. “We recommend that you get to the airport at least two hours prior to your scheduled departure time,” said Howell. “And if you’re planning to park or you’re taking back a rental car, factor that in on top of that, two hours to make sure you have enough time to get through the process.”The Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport set their all-time record last spring with over 8,300 passengers in a single day, and they say they could break that this year.

Local Flight update: A pair of delays in Savannah/HHI, more nationally. Tips for surviving holiday air travel

File photo of Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport TSA Lead Officer Darrell Wade talking to passengers as they make their way through the TSA checkpoint on Aug. 9, 2018. AP – Savannah Morning News

A slew of delays and cancellations has plagued airports around the United States, including the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport that’s already jam-packed with summer travelers.

Severe weather patterns across the country, high travel volume and inadequate staffing at the air traffic control centers run by the Federal Aviation Administration have put the breaks on arrivals and departures. On Thursday throughout U.S. airports, 369 flights have already been canceled and 736 are listed as delayed, according to FlightAware.com. On Wednesday, more than seven thousand U.S. flights were delayed and 1,199 were canceled.

The Savannah/Hilton Head airport website on Thursday morning showed two delayed and a canceled arriving flights, while no departing flights were disrupted.

What does this mean for passengers coming into and out of the Savannah/Hilton Head airport? Well, patience is a virtue, as the saying goes.

On top of delays and cancellations, more than 100,000 travelers bustling through the Savannah/Hilton Head airport over the Fourth of July week, patience is a necessity well worth packing. From July 1 to July 8, about 110,000 passengers will move through the airport. The weekend bookends — July 2 and 8 — will see the most travelers.

The trend is much like the rest of the country. The Transportation Security Administration noted higher summertime passenger volumes at airport security checkpoints. Nationwide, TSA screening estimated 17.7 million travelers from June 29 to July 5.

For the Savannah/Hilton Head airport, this year marks the busiest Fourth of July holiday it has ever had and a 4% increase compared to the same time last year, said Lori Lynah, the airport’s director of marketing and air service development.

“We can’t say it enough,” Lynah stressed. “Allow plenty of time.”

It’s not unusual that the summer months are hectic at the Savannah/Hilton Head airport, with vacationers underestimating wait times for baggage check and security screening, darting to their gates in flip-flops. Even still, people are shocked at all the activity, Lynah said.

While off-season months can be like a pleasant ghost town, breezing through the airport process with hardly any wait time, the summer lines are real. Don’t test it.

Really, there’s no secret to Fourth of July travel, just hold tight the sage and simple advice: prepare.

That means arriving 2 to 3 hours early to allow for parking, long lines at baggage check and a winding wait for security screening. Expect between 30 minutes and an hour at baggage claim during the peak travel time, Lynah said. The early morning, from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., is “extremely busy,” she added.

This is all without the potential for bad weather to creep in and upend arrival and departure schedules. Safe to say, bring extra snacks and pack a spare change of clothes.

For those familiar with I-95, which funnels people straight to Hilton Head Island, be prepared to sit in traffic. Incoming and outgoing. Check Maps or the traffic and mapping app Waze early and often, or use an alternate route to dodge the mayhem. And yes, expect a line for car rentals.

Picking up? The cell phone lot is a time-saver.

Often times, the first call that comes in from a passenger eager to get off plane and drive to paradise is too premature to head to curbside pick up. It leads to the dreaded looping until the passenger is actually ready to leave. Lynah assured there will be enough parking available, including shuttles to other lots, and she cautioned to not park on airport roadways.

So when does pandemonium settle down? Post-Labor Day.

TSA tips for smoother travel

Pack an empty bag and know before you go, and check the “What can I bring” tool

TSA PreCheck members: Make sure the TSA PreCheck mark is on your boarding pass

Be aware of new checkpoint screening technology

Bring an acceptable ID

Firearms and ammunition aren’t permitted in carry–on bags, but are permitted in checked bags when properly packed and declared

This story was originally published June 28, 2023 at 9:57 AM.