INDIANAPOLIS — Transportation Security Administration officials expect about 19,000 people per day to go through security for departing flights out of Indianapolis between Oct. 5-9.
The Indianapolis Airport Authority calls it the busiest five-day travel period in the airport’s history.
This is fall break time for Indiana schools, with many schools out for one or two weeks. Many families take advantage by going on vacation.
The Small family, from Whiteland, is actually large in numbers — dad, mom and four kids are headed to Disney World. Fall break appears to be the new spring break for many Indiana families.
“Pretty much,” father Sean Small said. “It's nice weather in Florida. This is when we can all go."
This was a family Christmas gift last year, now months in the planning. The Smalls arrived at the airport with plenty of time to catch their plane but forgot to pack one “small” item.
"We forgot the Mickey Mouse ears at home,” mom Lindsay Small realized just before entering security. “I bought those way ahead of time, and we forgot them at home."
The Christoff family, from Franklin, is California dreaming. But they have to head east first for a connecting flight in Charlotte.
"We decided to take the kids out of school today to allow a bit of extra time to get up here,” mother Joanna Christoff said. “And I had heard as well that it was going to be extra busy. So, we just wanted to make sure we allowed plenty of time and weren't in such a hurry and took the chance of not making it."
The Rojas family, from Indianapolis, is headed to Cancun for a family wedding and vacation.
"We're very frequent travelers, so we're pretty versed on getting here on time,” said Anne Rojas, traveling with her husband and twin sons. “But we try to get here at least two hours before the airplane is taking off. And then, we reserved an Uber yesterday."
Airport officials advise to arrive a full two hours before your flight departs, especially for early-morning flights, at the busiest time of the day. Twenty percent of those 19,000 daily passengers this weekend will depart between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m.