TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Memorial Day, one of the busiest weekends for travel, is in full swing at Tucson International Airport.
Tucsonans enjoyed short lines and on-time departures as they prepared for a fun weekend on Friday.
"[I'm] meeting my friends here; we're all military and haven't seen each other in a while, so we're all excited," said Isac Beltran.
Beltran said he "came all the way from Jacksonville."
The excited traveler made a 26-hour drive from Florida with a friend.
The military veterans eagerly awaited their other friend's flight to land.
"We're going to have some carne asada. We have a graduation party to go to for one of our friends," he said. "So it's going to be great."
While many airports across the country are preparing for potentially high pre-pandemic travel numbers, Tucson International has experienced a more serene atmosphere.
"We were looking around, and there were some empty seats," said Emma Watt. "So yeah, it was a little bit different."
She and her daughter, Allison Watt, traveled from Denver for a graduation, immediately noticing the stark difference between Tucson International and Denver International Airports.
Apart from a rain delay on their departing flight, they expressed surprise at how smoothly everything went.
"It was actually better than I expected," Watt said. "I think it ran really smoothly. I think they had more staff and people on board to help with that."
Whether encountering long lines or virtually no lines at all, travelers are eagerly taking to the skies for the extended holiday weekend.
One airport employee said the quietness at Tucson International is typical for any time of the year, for the most part.
He described the airport as "mellow."
