LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Some days this summer have marked the busiest travel days for airports since before the pandemic.
Officials at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport hope new parking will help with the travel headaches. The airport already had garage and surface-level parking, but now there are two more options for travelers preparing to catch a flight.
There are two new premiere lots where anyone can park. The East and West Premiere lots are on either side of the terminal.
Officials hope all these spaces will accommodate fliers coming to the airport.
It's good news for many travelers on Thursday, one of whom said it's "been a bit of a nightmare" trying to navigate the busy airport.
"We've definitely been very busy this summer," agreed Natalie Chaudion, a spokeswoman for the airport.
Airport officials said the number of people flying is nearing pre-pandemic levels from 2019 -- the airport's busiest year ever.
"When we tell folks to get to the airport two hours in advance, we're not just saying that so they can sit around and look at our facility," Chaudion said. "It's usually so they can have time to get in, get to their checkpoint and their gate before they start boarding."
Chaudion said the additional parking is a direct result of that increased traffic, causing the garage and surface parking spots to fill up.
"We do have intermittent closures because thing do get full in our garage and surface lot particularly," Chaudion said.
Chaudion said the two new premiere parking lots are located where the rental car lots and credit card lots used to be.
"Both are incredibly convenient, adjacent to our terminal building," Chaudion said.
With the new parking options, airport officials hope the only baggage passengers are carrying is their luggage.
Copyright 2022 by WDRB Media. All rights reserved.
