With less than two weeks until Christmas, it’s a busy time for many Edmontonians as they attend festive gatherings with family and friends and check off items on shopping lists. Edmonton International Airport says with the number of travellers passing through its doors starting to resemble pre-pandemic figures, the holiday season will also be hectic at its facility south of Alberta’s capital.
“It is a busy time,” Steve Maybee, EIA’s vice-president of operations and infrastructure, said Monday. “I say everyone be patient, take your time, check with your airline before you leave the house and make sure the airline is still on time.”
“The airlines have full loads going, so rebooking gets to be a challenge too.”
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EIA said on most days, between 6,000 and 7,000 people leave the airport every day but over the Christmas break, that number is expected to increase to up to 10,000 travellers.
In a post on its website Monday, EIA offered some tips for travellers to make their airport experience as smooth as possible:
- make sure you arrive at EIA at least two hours before domestic departure times and three hours before international departures
- use online check-in services and print or download your boarding passes before heading to EIA and also save time by tagging your own bags at an airport kiosk
- when going through security screening, remove your jacket, ensure gifts are not wrapped in case they need to be inspected, separate liquids and aerosols from the rest of your belongings and have your boarding pass ready for verification
- check this list from the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (HYPERLINK: https://www.catsa-acsta.gc.ca/en/whatcanIbring) to see what you are allowed to and not allowed to bring in checked or carry-on luggage
Sandra Alvarez works for CATSA and noted parents should be aware that some children’s toys are not able to be taken on airplanes in carry-on bags.
“A lot of toys or stuffed animals are actually filled with a sand-like granular substance on the bottom so they can sit upright,” she said. “So all of these would have to be 350 ml or less, which is more or less the size of a pop can.
“If it’s more than that you will not be permitted in carry-on, it has to go into checked baggage.”
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EIA added that for anyone who is at the airport and has a question, an information booth will remain open between 8 a.m. and midnight daily throughout the holiday season.
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