Kamloops Airport.

(ASHLEY LEGASSIC / iNFOnews.ca)

KAMLOOPS - With Christmas just around the corner, the Kamloops Airport is expecting its busiest time of year.

Kamloops Airport managing director Fred Legace says although the airport sees high traffic leading up to the holidays, it's the few days after Christmas that are the busiest for the airport.

Legace says the airport's numbers are usually highest for the days between Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

"People who left to go somewhere for Christmas are coming home and people who leave to go somewhere for New Years are leaving," he says.

Although the averages show the highest traffic between the two holidays, Legace says there is no real way to prepare for the extra numbers.

"We design everything around peak hour rather than averages so we’re okay with any traffic that comes our way," he says.

One thing staff is prepared for – infrequent flyers. It's the time of year where people travel who may not be experienced with flying, which means they may not know how to be prepared for their flight.

"Not to denigrate people, but this is the time of year that people fly who don’t typically fly at all, either throughout the year or will only fly every two or three years... and it’s usually at Christmas time," he says. "This is the time of year that a little bit of extra hand holding is needed, certainly at the check-in counters."

What inexperienced flyers can do, Legace says, is look at their options before traveling.

"The biggest thing that we ask people to do is look at your check-in options," he says. "You can check in online, people who don’t travel often don’t realize they can do that."

He also advises people to show up at least an hour early, leave Christmas presents unwrapped and have valid identification.

"You need to have that government-issued picture ID," he says. "That doesn’t include an expired driver’s license. That has been a problem. And it does not include a damaged passport either."

Legace also reminds parents to have identification for their children.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Ashley Legassic or call 250-319-7494 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2016