AUSTIN, Texas -- Holiday travel is picking up across Central Texas.
At Austin-Bergstrom International Airport crowds were moving quickly through security checkpoints Wednesday morning. The airport activated its new, fourth security checkpoint for the holiday rush. TSA staffed additional screeners at the checkpoint to process more passengers. It boosts the airport capacity by about 30 percent according to ABIA spokesperson, Jim Halbrook.
Halbrook still urges passengers to arrive two hours ahead of their scheduled flight.
He is also reminding passengers to double check their bags. Shortly after 6 a.m. on Wednesday Austin police officers took one passenger into custody. Halbrook says screeners reported finding a handgun inside the passenger’s carry-on bag. The passenger said he or she forgot it was in the bag, but police still took that person into custody.
For those driving to their holiday destination, AAA Texas is warning of back-ups on the road. The agency estimates more people will be driving as opposed to flying.
More than three million Texans are expected to drive 50 miles or more over the Thanksgiving holiday. About 200,000 are expected to fly.
