Heavy travel expected for Labor Day weekend
Nashville International Airport expects more than 300,000 passengers to pass through the airport during the holiday weekend.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - As summertime wraps up, more people are catching flights or driving as they head into the Labor Day weekend.
It’s been a busy day for travelers at Nashville International Airport and on the roads. WSMV4 spoke travelers at the airport and a gas station to about their travel plans.
“The holiday day is busy here, especially at the airport. We have a lot of passenger pick-up from the airport,” said Fazal Ghafar.
Braeden Peterson and his young son flew into Nashville Friday afternoon from Vancouver, Canada.
“We’re coming to see my sister who lives here in Nashville, and the four little ones that she’s got and her husband as well,” said Peterson. “We’re just coming in to enjoy some time with them. We haven’t seen them in a while.”
Other airline passengers like Alana Harris say she’s ready to have fun this Labor Day Weekend in Music City.
“I’m coming here from San Diego and I’m here for the Labor Day weekend for my friend’s bachelorette party. So it should be a good weekend,” said Harris.
The airport is expecting over 300,000 passengers to go into the airport Friday through Monday. Hundreds of thousands of people are hitting the roads to enjoy the holiday weekend.
“Gas prices have been creeping up anyway,” said Aboyade Cole.
Nashville drivers are paying an average of $3.52 at the pump, according to Triple A.
“This is a prerequisite to Thanksgiving so a lot of people when they have weekends off like that they normally travel to see loved ones and stuff like that. They also have football games all over the country. So a lot of people are going to be going to football games,” said Cole.
With this influx of travelers, the peak day is projected to be Sunday at Nashville International Airport with more than 40,000 passengers going through security.
“Probably get here a lot earlier. I think my flight is at like 4:30 p.m., but I’ll probably wake up and get breakfast and like hang out here. I’m not so familiar with Nashville, security and everything. It kind of looks crazy already looking at it,” said Harris.
The airport encourages passengers to arrive to the airport two hours before their flight. Travelers are also encourage to follow the below tips for a seamless travel journey:
- Pack smart. Familiarize yourself with packing do’s and don’ts before you arrive at the airport.
- Check the status of your flight before arriving at the airport. The airport is advising passengers to check the status of their flight before coming to the airport.
- Arrive early. Give yourself plenty of time to park, check-in, and get to your gate. Due to construction, there may be changes to the terminal you are not familiar with. Check flynashville.com for details.
- Allow extra time for parking. Heavier passenger volume means more people are parking and those areas will be busy. BNA has six parking options to choose from. If parking in valet, passengers coming from Interstate 40 will only be able to access this area from Donelson Pike (Exit 216B). Check parking details and availability here.
- Utilize the new cell lot. To alleviate traffic congestion, drivers waiting to pick up their loved ones are encouraged to use BNA’s new cell lot located at 1415 Murfreesboro Pike. The new lot provides ample space and digital signage that display real-time updates on incoming flights. Click here for more information and helpful tips.
Copyright 2023 WSMV. All rights reserved.
