With Easter and spring break combined, Atlanta airport seeing spikes in travel

ATLANTA — Spring break for most districts in metro Atlanta starts Monday, which means travel on the roads and in the air will begin to tick up this week.

Channel 2′s Christian Jennings stopped at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Sunday, where the airport looker closer to its pre-pandemic self.

“We’re celebrating my wife’s 40th birthday month and this is our first trip to Vegas,” Daymond Ray said.

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Ray and his wife were one of many who stood in line at Hartsfield Jackson’s security checkpoint Sunday.

“We haven’t been on a plane in probably a year,” he said. “We got our first shots, looking forward to getting our second shots, so we’re ready to start back traveling.”

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The Atlanta airport was packed and felt almost pre-pandemic Sunday evening. It was a trend that swept the nation this Easter weekend.

According to the Transportation Security Agency, more than 1.58 million people traveled on Friday alone. It was the highest single-day number recorded since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

“I kinda expected it. Everyone has had cabin fever. I didn’t expect it to be this busy, but it is what it is,” said traveler Blake Crawford.

Crawford visited Atlanta from Miami this weekend for a massive volleyball tournament at the Georgia World Congress Center. He said he felt comfortable traveling.

“One thing if you look around everyone is wearing masks,” Crawford told Jennings. “And I think the vaccine is the main thing. I’ve already had one of mine.”

Atlanta airport officials don’t have the exact numbers yet, but told Jennings that they expected more than 900,000 people over the weekend because of the holiday and the start of spring break.

This comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidelines for travelers.

Fully vaccinated people can travel within the United States without getting tested or going into quarantine. Someone is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after they receive the last required dose. But health officials continue to discourage nonessential travel.

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