PROVO, Utah — A less chaotic travel experience greeted travelers Monday at the Provo Airport ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
"It’s been nice getting here," admitted Missy McPherson from Nephi. "No traffic, just cruised right on in. Smooth, easy, no hassle."
McPherson and her husband, Drew, were flying to Fort Worth on a direct flight to spend the holiday with family. It was the couple's first time not having to head up to Salt Lake City where they typically had to stay the night at a hotel the night before their scheduled departure.
"It’s always interesting to me when I talk to people, even here in Utah County, that have no idea you can get on a plane and travel to anywhere around the world from right here in Provo," shared airport director Brian Torgersen.
The airport recently added six direct flights a day on American Airlines to major international airports like Dallas-Fort Worth and Phoenix.
"Three direct flights a day to Dallas-Fort Worth which, holy cow, has connections to over 100 destinations, and Phoenix as well with a lot of connections, and it’s super convenient right here out of Provo," Torgersen shared.
The airport director believes what sets Provo apart is the convenience its smaller size offers.
"We had somebody time it, and literally from the time they landed, got their bag and got into their car it was 9 minutes," he recalled. "So much more laid back. We’re fast and convenient and we’re connected like we never have been before."
The Myers family from Provo were flying with their 11-month-old daughter to Mexico, and said the convenience of having the airport just a couple miles from home makes things like flight delays a breeze compared to when flying out of Salt Lake City International Airport or other larger airports.
They're happy they found a new option for holiday travel with American Airlines arriving just last month to join smaller carriers such as Breeze and Allegiant.
"It’s pretty small and pretty new but it’s getting more popular for sure," said Derek Myers. "Yep, more and more flights to different places."
The airport currently has four gates and already needs a fifth, which is under construction with hopes to have it open next week, just in time for the Christmas travel season.
"We’re really busting at the seams," added Torgersen. "We’re finding we’re just about as maxed out as we can get."
TSA will process around 5,000 travelers in and out of the Provo Airport each day this week and they're only growing. Next spring, crews will start construction on an expansion and hope to double its size to ten gates.
