Joe Rogalsky, The Examiner
2007-05-25 07:00:00.0
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WASHINGTON -

As thousands of area residents fill the roads to drive to their weekend getaways, the region’s three major airports are preparing for a busy Memorial Day weekend, as well.

The traditional travel weekend is a precursor to the airport’s busy summer season, which begins in June and lasts through August.

Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport expects to serve 71,000 passengers today, about 15,000 more than usual.

“It is a busy weekend, and it unofficially kicks of the summer travel season,” airport spokesman Jonathan Dean said.

The airport forecasts that after the school year ends, it will handle more than the 4.9 million commercial passengers who visited BWI last year between June and August.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority predicts Dulles International Airport will serve more than the 6.1 million summer passengers it saw last year. The authority also anticipates Reagan will surpass last summer’s record 4 million passengers.

“We are advising travelers that their two most useful tools for summer air travel will be time and preparation,” said Rob Yingling, a spokesman for the authority that runs Dulles and National. “In terms of time, we’re advising passengers to come to the airport two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight if the flight is going to be departing early in the morning and late in the afternoon, which are the peak times.

“As far as preparation, passengers should be aware of the rules that apply to carry-on baggage, parking if they’re coming to Reagan National and packing in such a way to ease their passage through the security screening checkpoints,” he said.

Parking is not expected to be scarce at BWI or Dulles. At National, which has thousands fewer spaces, the economy parking lot could fill up by Friday and stay at capacity through Sunday.

“However, past history shows us the other parking facilities should have available spaces at Reagan National,” Yingling said. “Daily and hourly parking have historically not filled up this holiday weekend.”

jrogalsky@dcexaminer.com