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Wednesday expected to be busiest holiday travel day at Sea-Tac

SEATAC, Wash. — Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is bracing for its busiest day of the holiday season.

More than 150,000 passengers are expected at the airport on Wednesday, a 13% increase from last year.

Airport officials say the passenger numbers are almost at pre-pandemic levels.

Transportation Security Administration officials said its staff is ready to handle the projected increase in travel on Wednesday and through the next week.

On Wednesday alone, the TSA expects to screen about 2.5 million passengers in the U.S. The next busiest day is expected to be Sunday.

>> Travel experts, airport officials offer advice on avoiding delays at Sea-Tac

The projected increase in passengers means more time standing in line.

One way to avoid delays is to get a ride to the airport. All of the airport’s parking reservations are filled. The good news is that only 500 parking spots are set aside for reservations, which is about 4% of all parking spots at SEA.

Port of Seattle spokesperson Perry Cooper said passengers should go by their boarding time instead of the departure time to ensure they’re on time.

“You need to get in there when they start boarding, so think of your boarding time not your departure time, because by then everyone should be in and sat down on the plane,” said Cooper.