Santa Barbara airport sees return of heavy holiday travel

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Santa Barbara airport is seeing a rush of travelers ahead of Thanksgiving day.

After more than a year of virtual celebrations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people are excited to finally reunite in person with their loved ones.

Santa Barbara airport saw a return of their holiday rush on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

Travelers took part in the hustle and bustle of getting in and out of the airport.

“It’s going to be crazy, I have a feeling because it’s like Thanksgiving so everyone is just gonna be going going going," said Paige Moor, who's traveling to Tuscon.

COVID-19 prevented many from traveling and making contact with friends and family. This meant traveling services including airports and trains saw a dip in business from the pandemic.

"I’ve flown before COVID and like a little bit during COVID and now to see everything super busy again, it’s super cool and super weird at the same time," said Delani Wahr, who is flying from Chicago.

The Santa Barbara airport expects millions of passengers by the end of 2021 year.

“For us what that means is that we’re seeing the success in everything that we put into staying safe and providing that ease of travel," said Angi Daus, the Santa Barbara Airport Marketing Coordinator.

Airports continue to follow CDC protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 including social distancing and wearing masks.

For more info on the Santa Barbara airport, click here.