The Thanksgiving holiday is coming to an end. However, the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority anticipated for over 30,000 passengers traveling from Monday, Nov. 21 to Sunday, Nov. 28. To accommodate for the increased demand, the Syracuse Hancock International Airport has started constructing three new parking lots for additional spaces.

“We have what’s called a vast catch-man area which is a fancy term for the area where we draw our passengers from,” said Matt Szwejbka, marketing and communications specialist for the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority.

Because the Syracuse Airport serves a large area, more people are driving to the airport. Szwejbka says in order to meet the demand, the airport has to be able to accommodate.

“Currently in the midst of what’s called a surface parking lot expansion,” Szwejbka said. “What that basically means is that we’re adding three new parking lots. We’re standing in one of those lots right now. When that is totally complete, that’ll mean 900 spaces added.” 

Five hundred new parking spaces have already been created.

“Where we’re standing now is ultimately going to become our employee lot where our employees who work at the airport for a variety of different employers may choose to park,” Szwejbka said.

Szwejbka says the old employee lot will become an economy lot.

“We also of course encourage people to check out our social media channels where we are three times a day posting updates about parking status of each lot that we have available to the public,” Szwejbka said.

Weather permitting, the additional parking space project should be complete by the beginning of next year with a new total of 5,400 parking spaces.