Expect delays at El Paso International Airport over Memorial Day weekend, officials say

The El Paso International Airport is preparing for a busy summer travel season that kicks off Memorial Day weekend.

People traveling through the airport over the Memorial Day weekend could face longer wait times, officials said in a news release.

Passengers are strongly encouraged to arrive at the airport at least two hours before their departure, the release said.

“We are excited to welcome more passengers this summer as we have more available seats than we have had in the past few years, including 2019,” El Paso Aviation Director Sam Rodriguez said in the news release. “The fact that we have over 1,000 more seats per day for passengers to fly this summer is an impressive result of our City’s strategic plan for economic recovery and the strong response from our community and region.”

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Memorial Day weekend typically is one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

More than 30,000 passengers are expected to use the airport over the holiday weekend, city officials said.

The airport will average 53 daily flights in June, an additional nine flights per day, up from 44 in May, officials said.

The additional traffic is due to recently added flights to the popular tourist destinations of Austin, Orlando and San Diego, as well as additional flights to the major markets of Dallas, Las Vegas and Houston.

Due to the number of added flights, there is a potential for longer wait times for both check-in and security lines, especially for early morning flights, the news release said. The security checkpoint opens by 4 a.m.

Travelers are urged to review the current identification requirements and screening procedures for traveling with liquids, gels and aerosols by visiting TSA.gov or by contacting the Transportation Security Administration directly by tweeting @AskTSA. People also may sign up for TSA PreCheck to expedite the screening process.

A video showcasing tips for first-time flyers is available at: https://elpasointernationalairport.com/before-you-travel/first-time-flyers/

More information: http://flyelpaso.com