Be sure to arrive at the airport early this holiday season.
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days for air travel, with 49,000 flights, according to the FAA.
1819 News spoke to Huntsville International Airport (HSV) public relations manager Mary Swanstrom about travel this holiday season and improvements being made at HSV to make flying through HSV as seamless as possible.
Swanstrom stated, "[S]eats for HSV for November 2023 increased 23% compared to November 2022. We expect 1,956 flights and 151,261 seats for the month."
She added that HSV has $62 million in capital improvements currently in the works and will ease the burden for travelers. Swanstrom also said another $80 million in capital projects are in the planning stage.
Some of those projects that are currently ongoing include:
Concourse Elevator/Escalator Renovation - $14 million
Cell Phone Waiting Lot - $740,000 (opening mid-December)
New Employee Parking Lot - $3.2 million (opening mid-December)
Rental Car Return Lot - $3 million (starting mid-December)
Taxiway W Rehabilitation - $9.2 million (coming 2024)
Recently, U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Huntsville) secured an additional $4.2 million in federal funding for HSV.
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Strong said, "The FAA's investment in North Alabama's airport infrastructure will support economic development efforts across our region. This funding will further ensure the Tennessee Valley has reliable means of air travel and our industry can efficiently move goods to market. As your member of Congress, I am always proud to see our hard-earned tax dollars returned back home."
Other nearby airports that Strong secured funding for include Pryor Field in Decatur ($294,000), Huntsville Executive Airport ($294,000), Hartselle-Morgan County Airport ($144,000) and Scottsboro Municipal Airport ($144,000).
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email Bradley.cox@1819news.com.
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