CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) -
The Charleston International Airport saw an influx of travelers during the Labor Day weekend.
Many travelers were returning to Charleston from their trips on Monday. Several others were leaving Charleston after visiting for the Labor Day weekend.
"I went to Miami and then I met up with two girlfriends from Nappa, California," Charleston resident Lexi Kinsaul said. "Then we went on a cruise to the Bahamas."
In 2017, there were 45,586 people who arrived and departed through the airport between Friday and Monday of Labor Day weekend, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
That’s more than 10,000 more people than the airport saw in 2016, according to data from the TSA.
2015 TSA records show about 40,000 people arrived and departed from the airport during that time.
Several travelers said their flights coming to Charleston felt much busier than usual.
"When we came out of Austin, it was really busy," Charleston visitor Andy Burrell said. "But the experience here in Charleston was pretty much smooth sailing."
AAA of the Carolinas estimated about 488,000 people traveled 50 miles or more from South Carolina during the Labor Day weekend.
That’s a 5% increase from travelers last year.
Some people traveled on Labor Day weekend for the first time, while others are used to traveling for this holiday.
"Since I've been in New York, last year and this year I've come home to see my family," Charleston visitor Jessica Baron said.
A lot of people coming back to Charleston after the holiday said the travel was a nice break, but they're glad to be home. And most visitors leaving Charleston said they will be back soon because they were so impressed with the city.
"It was awesome," Burrell said. "We didn't waste a minute when we were here. We made sure that we took advantage of the experience and we loved it."
So far this year, 2.6 million people have traveled through the Charleston International Airport, according to executive director and CEO of the Charleston County Aviation Authority Paul Campbell Jr.
This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.
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