BY TERRY FLYNN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HEBRON -- Delta Airlines had more than 29,000 people scheduled to depart from Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky International Airport Friday, making it the busiest day locally in Delta history.
But the record had little effect on airport operations, with everyone moving quickly through the terminals to their departure gates and those arriving having little or no trouble retrieving their luggage and heading home.
"On a normal peak day here, we have a total of about 55,000 people arriving and leaving," said airport spokesman Joe Feiertag. "If Delta has 29,000 enplanements, you can basically double that number for arrivals. Adding Comair and other airlines, the total today is probably about 62,000, only 7,000 over a normal peak day." Delta spokesman Todd Clay in Atlanta said the airline had 29,100 passengers booked to depart on flights out of Cincinnati.
"If everyone shows up, it will be a new boarding record," he said. "We are expecting it to be the single best day we've ever had on a systemwide basis."
The previous one-day Cincinnati record was 28,490 on Nov. 30, 1997, the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Bob Weigl of West Chester, who works for Procter & Gamble and flew home Friday from Baltimore, agreed that it seemed like any other Friday at the airport.
"Every flight into Cincinnati from Baltimore was full, but a lot of the people were picking up other flights here," he said. Mr. Feiertag said airport officials credited the additional business to a combination of a strong economy and some low air fares.
