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Rochester Airport Crews Get Ready For The Peak Season

Rochester airport baggage screener offers passenger a plastic bag.
WXXI photo
Rochester airport baggage screener offers passenger a plastic bag.

If you’re planning to fly out of the Greater Rochester International Airport this summer, expect the usual additional number of passengers, but not the kind of hours-long wait times you may have heard about at major metropolitan areas around the country.

That according to Airport Director Mike Giardino, who says July and August are the busiest times of the year for the local airport, with an additional 30,000 passengers each month.

“We have 22 aircraft on the ramp overnight, 17 to 18 departures before 8:30 so the 4am to 6am time frame is going to be critical as far as timing.”

But Giardino says wait times to get through security usually don’t get above 40 minutes. He does say that with more people using more carry-on luggage these days to avoid airline baggage fees, that can slow the line through the security checkpoint.

Giardino says the recommendation is for you to get to the airport two hours ahead of your flight.

Giardino also recommends that frequent air travelers sign up for the TSA pre-check program which can speed your way through the security checkpoint

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.