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Bowl Traffic Sets a Record

News & Happenings

January 17, 2007

» ... And on to Phoenix

The Ohio State-Florida national championship game pushed a record-setting 69,359 departing passengers through checkpoints at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, compared with upwards of 55,000 on traditional high volume days.

Fans leaving the area filled regularly scheduled commercial flights as well as 41 charter flights ranging from a DC10 to several 757-200 aircraft.

Sixty-five miles to the east, Phoenix’s spoke airport, Williams Gateway, got its share of overflow traffic with six additional charter flights.

Preparations for the championship game began weeks in advance. TSA, airport operations, air carriers and other stakeholders shared information on numbers of charter flights, departure times and gate assignments. That led to an even distribution of flights throughout the terminals and concourses, with no checkpoint being overwhelmed.

“[It’s] another success story in our journey of excellence,” said Paul Armes, PHX federal security director. "[Our] crews of dedicated employees performed magnificently.”

Stepping up to assist passengers during the surge were the Navigators, volunteers from among the airport’s own staff. Local TV and radio stations helped keep the public informed of wait times and possible congested areas in parking lots and at ticket counters.

And many Transportation Security Officers volunteered to work their days off to ensure adequate staffing at the busiest times.