Metro Airport's longest lines are found outside, as holiday travel picks back up

ROMULUS, Mich. (FOX 2) - On the Tuesday before Christmas. there’s action at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, but all the long lines are outside.

A sure sign holiday air travel numbers are returning to pre-pandemic levels - a long line of drivers stretched a quarter-mile in the arrival lanes at Metro.

FOX 2 followed the line to the airport and saw dozens waiting to be picked up with packed bags and patience.

FOX 2:: "What do you make of this crowd?"

"Quite the crowd. it’s to be expected during the holiday season," said Sara Wieber.

While it was crowded at passenger pickup, travelers had more space inside.

Check-in and security lines weren’t elbow to elbow.

"I was surprised the airport wasn’t as busy as it was going to be. And that’s coming from the airport that I came from and when I got here," said Valoria Burch.

A spokeswoman with DTW says 1.2 million people will travel through the airport from now until New Year's. That’s 600,000 more passengers than this time last year.

The busy travel period hits as the Covid omicron variant spreads at an alarming rate.

"What we did in preparation is we just quarantined at home for the last six days before we left because we didn’t want to not be able to travel," said Charlie Tourangeau. "We just bunkered in our home the last six days."

In addition to its current health and safety protocols, the airport has on-site Covid vaccination clinics. It has provided 1,100 doses since October.

"We’re taking those steps to make sure we’re doing our part as an airport to keep everyone safe andto help stop the spread of COVID-19," said Erica Donerson, Metro Airport.

Due to the spread of the Covid variants, the federal mask mandate for traveling is extended through March 18. 

The hustle and bustle of the holiday travel season is happening outside Metro Airport this year, not as much inside.