San Diego Airport officials advise travelers to expect a busy holiday travel season

Expect a busy holiday travel season starting this week and continuing into the new year, according to San Diego International Airport officials.

The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, which owns and operates SAN, expects up to 1.3 million people to arrive and depart between Thursday and Jan. 5, it announced Monday.

The busiest days are expected to be Friday to Monday before Christmas and Thursday to Sunday after the holiday. In addition, up to 80,000 people could travel through the airport every day from Thursday to Sunday after New Year’s Eve.

According to the airport authority, the estimates are about 4% to 5% more than last year and a 6% to 7% increase over pre-pandemic numbers in 2019.

For those traveling to San Diego International for pickup or drop-off, expect delays on both westbound and eastbound North Harbor Drive due to possible slow construction vehicles.

The busiest times on the roadside are expected to be between 4 a.m. and 6:15 a.m., between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and between 8 p.m. and midnight.

To avoid holiday problems, the airport authority has given some tips:

• Arrive at least two hours early to avoid rush hour.
• make park reservations online;
• Take the free San Diego Flyer shuttle service between the Old Town Transit Station and SAN. The electric shuttle buses run seven days a week, with an average arrival time of every 20 to 30 minutes. The first pickup is at 4:45 a.m. and the last pickup/drop-off is at 12:30 p.m
• Have family or friends drop you off or use rideshare services.

During the holiday season, San Diego International offers seasonal entertainment such as carols, musical performances and photos with Santa.