WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – It was smooth sailing at Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport on Tuesday for the first big travel day of the Thanksgiving week.
“As far as the airport authority, we are in pretty good shape,” said Valerie Wise, Air Service Marketing Manager with the Wichita Airport Authority. “So far, everything has been really good. People have been arriving early like we have been stressing to arrive two hours before your flight.”
Jock Payten is one who got an early jump on the day. He was flying to Wichita from Boston.
“Yeah, my mom’s side of the family. All of us come together in Wichita,” said Payten. “Travel to be here. It’s the food. It’s the family. Football. It’s just a good time to relax.”
JD Van Hook, a former Wichita resident, moved to Nashville. He is now at Wheaton College in Illinois, and he flew in to be with family.
“It was super easy. I heard it was supposed to be one of the busiest days of the year,” said JD. “I left really early but got there almost an hour too early.”
JD arrived just in time to see his mom, Susan Van Hook, at Eisenhower Airport.
“I was flying, and I came from Nashville, and then we just got to meet up right now,” said Susan Van Hook. “This is where we used to live and where they grew up, and we still have deer hunting land out here, and so my husband and my older son are already here in the (deer) stands, and we are meeting them here today. So it’s about food and deer hunting.”
After the food and festivities, flyers know Sunday is expected to be another busy day in the air.
“Fly back on Saturday,” said Payten. “Evening. So we are going to try to miss the traffic coming back.”