Up to 1.2 million people to are expected to travel through the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport during spring break.
However, flyers may have to contend with long lines in light of a partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown that one Trump administration official warned that could close some airports.
Around 50,000 Transportation Security Administration screeners are are working without regular pay during the funding lapse.
Here’s what airport officials said you should know if you’re flying anytime between now until April 12.
Spring break travel: How early should I get to CVG?
“During spring break, travelers should plan on arriving earlier than usual,” said a CVG official on March 20.
Travelers should arrive at least two and a half hours early for domestic flights and three and a half hours early for international flights.
Most people fly out on Sunday, Monday and Saturday between 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. during the six-week period, according to the airport. The busiest time for arrivals is 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
CVG: Security wait times may be inaccurate
Travelers can check CVG’s TSA screening wait times by visiting cvgairport.com/security/.
However, a CVG official said these numbers may be unreliable during the busy season.
CVG’s calculation uses fixed entry and exit points to determine how long it takes a traveler to go through TSA. When lines are so long that they spill over into the ticketing area, CVG’s system does not take that into account and still makes it’s calculations based on where it thinks the line starts.
Where do Cincinnatians go for spring break?
The short answer: Florida.
“Travelers in the Cincinnati region are mostly headed to popular Florida destinations, however, Phoenix edged out Tampa in the top five list this year,” a CVG release stated.
CVG’s most popular spring break destinations include Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tampa, Cancun, London, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: With TSA delays during spring break, how early should you get to CVG?
Reporting by Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
