The Thanksgiving holiday travel season kicked into full gear on Wednesday in California as fewer people were expected to hit the roadways because of an economic downturn.
Officials at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) estimated that during the travel season, 1.6 million passengers would pass through the airport -- a 14.3 percent decline from the 1.85 million who traveled last year.
At the Ontario International Airport nearby, 147,000 people will pass through the airport, down from 210,000 passengers in 2007. That decline is due not only to the economic meltdown, but also to the suspension of service by ExpressJet and JetBlue airlines, airport officials said.
Airport officials noted that fewer flights and available seats were contributing to reductions in airplane travel over the holiday.
Today is also getaway day for thousands of people who have elected to travel by car. The Automobile Club of Southern California estimated that 2.68 million residents will be on the roadways during the holiday travel season.
In California, 5.2 million people are expected to take holiday trips on the Thanksgiving weekend, a decrease of more than 2 percent from last year. Of those, 4.3 million are expected to drive and 551,000 are projected to take air trips.
The top five destinations for Southern California travelers are: San Diego; Mexico (cruises and resort stays); Las Vegas, San Francisco and the Grand Canyon, according to the Auto Club.
Source:Xinhua
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