Champaign airport adds extra flights over holiday season

SAVOY, Ill. (WAND) - Airports are gearing up for some of the busiest travel days of the year.

The University of Illinois Willard Airport is not typically busy and only has a few departures throughout the day. But, American Airlines has confirmed they will add an extra flight in December for the holidays.

“So American Airlines is adding flights during the holidays starting December 15th through early January. We’re going to go from 4 flights a day up to 5 flights a day, so they are adding seats into the market which is great,” said Executive Director, Tim Bannon.

American Airlines has also changed its policy. Passengers must arrive at least 45 minutes before their flight to avoid being late.

“We highly recommend everybody get to the airport well in advance. There’s a 45-minute cut-off for check-in and for checked baggage so check-in on the app up to 24 hours in advance and if you are checking a bag, I recommend getting to the airport at least an hour in advance,” said Bannon.

The Willard Airport is smaller and less busy which means it doesn't receive as much business as bigger airports do. But, this makes navigating it during the holidays much easier and less stressful.

“In general our TSA checkpoint has a low wait time so it’s a pretty smooth and easy process to get through our airport, get to the boarding area, relax for a few minutes before you board your flight.” stated Bannon.

Airports are expecting the increase of passengers to last until mid-January.