Increase of travelers, construction expected to cause crowds at Newark Liberty Int’l Airport

Travelers flying out of Newark Liberty International Airport are being advised to arrive early ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Traveling this holiday is expected to rise 14% over last year. This coupled with construction inside of Newark Liberty’s Terminal A could mean longer lines at security checkpoints.
Terminal A has three security checkpoints. Two of them are open for passengers. The third one is shut down with no access for travelers because of the construction of a new terminal, which will eventually be called Terminal 1.
The delays will especially impact passengers flying with American Airlines, Air Canada and Air Alaska.
Air travel is expected to jump up 80% from last year’s holiday season. AAA expects 116,000 New Jersey residents to fly this Thanksgiving. This is causing some apprehension among some passengers.
“I’m a little nervous because they’re packing people in like sardines. So even though I’m vaccinated, others aren’t,” says Sharon Brooks, of Florida. “It’s still a little nerve-racking.”
Data from AAA also shows that 6% of people in New Jersey feel traveling poses a significant risk for COVID-19. Last year that number was at 34%.
Some passengers tell News 12 New Jersey that travelers have not become more respectful or kinder in the age of the pandemic.
“Definitely not kinder to one another,” says traveler Ed Brooks. “I think people have been more impatient as far as getting where they need to go and getting off. They may have to deal with the anxiousness and wearing a mask for hours at a time.”
Ed Brooks says that some people are still tense and anxious when on board a plane and sitting next to a stranger.
Transportation Security Administration officials say travelers are urged to arrive at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights to avoid missing their flights during the holiday season.