Holiday Travel Ramps Up At Boise Airport, Economy Parking Lot Open Daily

Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday travel period of the year, and this year airport officials expect to see record levels of passengers travelling through the Boise Airport.

“The Boise Airport had a record number of passengers in 2017, with over 3.5 million people travelling through the airport that year,” said Boise Airport Director Rebecca Hupp. “This year we’re eclipsing those numbers, up 11 percent year-to-date, and projected to see nearly 3.9 million passengers in 2018.”

In order to accommodate for the busy travel period, the airport opened their economy parking lot, located at Victory and Orchard. The lot is open daily through January 1, 2019 with free shuttles departing every fifteen minutes.

The combination of a busy year and busy holiday travel season means passengers should give themselves a little extra time when flying out of the Boise Airport.

“Our goal is to provide passengers with an exceptional airport experience,” said Hupp. “During the holiday season, we recommend passengers show up two hours before their departure. This gives them ample time to park, check-in and clear security.”

The busiest travel days are Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and Saturday, Sunday and Monday after the holiday. On these peak days, up to 15,000 passengers could be travelling through the Boise Airport.

“Public safety is our top priority,” said Boise Police Lieutenant, Danielle Young. “When picking up your loved ones, please be sure to drive slow and be aware of your surroundings.”

For security reasons, the airport curb is for active loading and unloading only – the airport recommends picking up passengers on both the lower and upper curb to ease congestion. Parking in drive lanes is a safety hazard, and is against airport regulations. Guests can utilize the cell phone waiting area or short-term parking lot to wait for their passengers to arrive.

Andrew Coose, the Transportation Security Administration’s Federal Security Director in Boise stated, “We expect Thanksgiving week to be a busy one at Boise’s checkpoint, but we are prepared to handle the crowds in our typical ‘Idaho friendly’ fashion. We will have extra staff on overtime and will do everything to make sure passengers are quickly expedited on their way. Passengers can help themselves and TSA by packing carefully – making sure there are no dangerous items in carry-ons & ensuring liquids are in less than 3.5 oz. containers and lastly; by bringing a festive, holiday spirit with them to the airport. This is a great time of year and we look forward to helping our passengers get to where they want to go safely.”

The TSA encourage passengers to pack smart. Prepare for security when packing and ensure that there are no prohibited items in baggage. As always, passengers can bring pies, cakes and other baked goods through the checkpoints; however, liquids such as eggnog and maple syrup, and gels such as preserves and jellies, should go into checked bags.

The Boise Airport wishes everyone a happy holiday season and enjoyable travel.

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About the City of Boise: Our vision is to make Boise the most livable city in the country by fostering vibrant communities, innovative enterprises and lasting environments on behalf of our nearly 225,000 residents. Visit cityofboise.org to learn more.

About the Boise Airport: As the largest airport in Idaho, the Boise Airport provides a gateway to the entire Treasure Valley. Over 3.5 million passengers travel through the Boise Airport each year, with access to six airlines and 20 nonstop destinations. Visit iflyboise.com to learn more.