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NEWS
Travel Forecast: Thousands to fly out of Sunport over holidays
Millions of Americans will drive or fly to visit loved ones this season — what to expect in New Mexico
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With Christmas fast approaching, the Albuquerque International Sunport is filled with ruby red poinsettias, therapy dogs in woolen sweaters and thousands of travelers hoping to be home for the holidays.
This year, the Transportation Security Administration expects 266,000 travelers to pass through the Sunport from Dec. 18 to Jan. 3.
That makes the holiday season one of the busiest days for travelers and staff alike.
“Be patient and courteous — holiday travel is a busy time for everyone,” Sunport spokesperson Diana Lopez said in a statement Monday.
The Sunday after Christmas is expected to be the busiest travel day of them all with 19,000 travelers catching flights to or from the Sunport.
Lopez reminded travelers to have their REAL IDs at the ready for a smooth trip through security. TSA started enforcing the new document requirement in May.
Beyond security, the Sunport may look a little different to those who haven’t flown in a while.
Now, weary travelers can get a bite to eat in the Sunport’s freshly-renovated food hall filled with local restaurants or grab a last-minute present at one of the newly built local shops and kiosks.
Things are also slightly different for New Mexicans traveling by car this year.
For those driving home for the holidays, gas prices are lower in New Mexico than in past years, according to an American Automobile Association of New Mexico news release.
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Though prices on pay pumps jumped a couple cents in the days before holiday travel, the average price for a gallon of unleaded gas in New Mexico was $2.74 as of Thursday.
That’s 11 cents less than last year’s average price for New Mexico and 15 cents lower than the national average.
Overall, many more travelers drive than fly each year, according to AAA New Mexico.
All in all, 109.5 million Americans are expected to travel by car this holiday season, while more than 8 million will catch a domestic flight, according to AAA.
Gillian Barkhurst is the local government reporter for the Journal. She can be reached at gbarkhurst@abqjournal.com or on Twitter @G_Barkhurst
