PORTLAND, Maine — As the holiday season kicks into high gear, officials are readying for an influx of travelers, both in the air and on the ground.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) New England assures the public that they are well-prepared to handle the holiday traffic, whether it's at the Portland Jetport or Bangor International airports.
TSA New England expects the Portland Jetport and Bangor International airports to see a significant number of travelers, ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 people daily throughout the week.
However, the aftermath of Monday's storm has introduced a potential challenge, as canceled flights may cause a domino effect for holiday travel.
"A lot of people have rescheduled their flights from Monday to Wednesday, and people are wanting to get out and get to their destinations before the weekend. Wednesday is going to be very busy here. We recommend if you have an early morning flight at 6 a.m., you need to be here at four, unfortunately," Daniel Velez, media operations for TSA New England said.
"We thought that if there was bad weather, we would have plenty of time to get to our destination by Christmas. There was bad weather yesterday; one day makes a big difference," David Blanchard, a traveler from Camden said.
TSA New England anticipates a 6.5 percent increase in traffic compared to last year, emphasizing the need for travelers to plan accordingly.
Amtrak is also bracing for higher volumes this week, with a peak expected on Friday, according to Patricia Quinn, executive director of NNEPRA.
"I would think that we're going to see 16 to 18-hundred travelers a day through holiday travel days with some peaks in there," Quinn said.
AAA projects that 3.84 million people in New England will travel by car during the 10-day year-end holiday travel period.
Airports are also preparing for the return journey, particularly on Dec. 29, which officials identify as a peak day for people heading back home.
Travelers are advised to arrive 90 minutes early and are reminded not to wrap any gifts they bring to the airport.