Passengers filter through CVG ahead of Thanksgiving holiday

BOONE COUNTY, Ky. (FOX19) - Despite a CDC warning against Thanksgiving travel, many are still opting to fly for the holiday.

“The holidays are always a special time for me,” Stephanie Theobold said Tuesday.

She and her dog recently got away, trading Ohio’s weather for the Florida sunshine. She says it’s difficult to balance safety with the desire to see her family in Mason for the holiday.

“I’ll survive for my family,” Theobold said, adding she’ll practice social distancing and good hygiene during the holiday. “It’s a special time to be with them.”

The airport began Wednesday slow, but passengers trickled in throughout the afternoon, passengers headed for France, Las Vegas, Panama City, even West Africa.

Casara Anthony is headed to Orlando.

“We’re going to see my sister and her family,” Anthony said Wednesday. “She has twins, which is fun, and her babies just turned 1, so we’re going to go see her.”

Anthony says this is their first time traveling since the pandemic started.

“We were definitely concerned, but I’ve been a little more comfortable with all the precautions that are being taken, things like wearing a mask, taking temperatures,” she said. “Of course we’ve got our hand sanitizer, and we have our own wipes, so we’ll be careful to social distance.”

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CVG airport officials say the airport is processing around 5,000 travelers per day this week. The number is historically low for the airport, but it could tick up as the holiday season continues.

“We know it’s going to be busy, so Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are going to be about the same traffic-wise, and Sunday and Monday are usually busier days,” airport official Mindy Kershner said. “Usually they’re traveling home or going back to Cincinnati.”

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In order to help flyers feel more comfortable and confident when arriving at the airport, changes have been made.

“Trying new products and enhancing our cleaning regimens are all measures that we’ve taken to make people feel comfortable and confident,” Kershner said.

The TSA is also allowing one oversized liquid hand sanitizer, up to 12 oz per passenger in carry-on bags.

Passengers can bring hand wipes through checkpoints as well.

Airlines are taking measures to prevent spread of COVID-19 as well.

“They’re cleaning the aircraft,” Kershner said. “They’re doing a lot of cleaning and wiping down the plane.”

Plane ventilation systems recirculate air every few minutes. Some airlines have eliminated middle seats as well.

CVG officials encourage travelers to review their airline’s specific COVID-19 policies before flying. They’ve also created a page on their website that walks passengers through every step of the process, from boarding the aircraft to returning home.

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