Bay Area airports see near-normal holiday traffic after years of pandemic
SAN FRANCISCO -- Sunday was somewhat bittersweet for a lot of people heading home after Thanksgiving.
There were a lot of hugs and and some tears outside the San Francisco International Airport as families said goodbye to loved ones following the holiday gatherings.
"I'm going to miss my family," said college student Antonio Rojas, who was flying to Southern California, returning classes at Cal State Northridge.
"It doesn't get easier. It's always tough. We have a hard time. There'll be some tears but not right now," said Antonio's mother, Erika Rojas, who was seeing him off.
South Bay health care worker Teria Ester said it was all happy tears when she finally saw her family this Thanksgiving.
"I did not see them in 2020 or 2021 because of COVID so that made the reunion that much sweeter," Ester said as she waiting for her luggage at the SFO baggage claim. "I just got back to Colorado Springs to see my mom and brother and it was phenomenal. Phenomenal! Too short."
Many travelers said they noticed an uptick in passenger numbers.
"Going and coming back were all very similar, flights were packed. It feels the closest thing to normal we've had in a while," said Alyssa Tourville, a kindergarten teacher who was returning to San Jose from visiting family in Minnesota.
The local airports reported brisk business. Traffic was not quite at 2019 pre-pandemic levels although it's getting closer.
SFO officials said their busiest day was the Thursday before Thanksgiving week with about 131,400 travelers. That was followed the next day by a slight dip with about 131,000 passengers. On the day before Thanksgiving, roughly 122,000 passengers passed through SFO. Officials said that, before the pandemic, they would see roughly 160,000 people on the busiest Thanksgiving travel days.
The officials attribute the decline in part to fewer China flights due to the strict COVID policies in that country.
At the smaller Mineta San Jose International Airport, officials said they saw roughly 38,000 passengers on Nov. 17 and around 41,500 the next day.
They said that's about 20 percent below pre-pandemic levels.
KPIX could not get numbers for Oakland International Airport but a spokeswoman said the airport was very busy Sunday. Some passengers said security check-in lines in the morning stretched all the way outside the building.
Despite her packed flights, Ester said it all went well.
"I have a fear of flying," she admitted. "It was actually very smooth going, coming and going."
