Christmas morning at Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport was filled with warmth and joy as passengers reunited with loved ones, despite the challenges of holiday travel delays.
For Valerie Easterling, flying in from Dallas, a two-hour delay made her journey a bit more stressful. “My flight out of Dallas was delayed, but luckily the one coming here was delayed too, so I was able to make it,” Easterling said. “Otherwise, I would’ve missed my flight and had to wait until the later afternoon.”
Some passengers were up before dawn to catch their flights, only to face delays along the way. “We woke up with our baby at 2:30 a.m. to catch our 5 a.m. flight, but it got delayed for two hours,” said Claudia Gray, from Edinburg, Texas.
Others, like Ryan Taylor from Los Angeles, had even more challenging journeys. “I had a red-eye flight, leaving at 12:45 a.m. from LAX,” he said.
Despite the travel hurdles, airport officials noted that Monday’s flight numbers were in line with nationwide trends of full flights. “Today we had 48 passengers on a 50-seat flight, and tonight there will be 22, which means the airline’s pretty happy with 70% capacity,” said Tom Heanue, Executive Director at Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport. “People are really starting to appreciate the convenience of using the local airport.”
For many, the delays and long days were worth it, as they focused on the joy of being with family. “This is my first Christmas without my father, who passed away in January,” said Easterling. “I’m so thankful to be here with my mother and my niece.”
For others, the holidays were a time for rest after a long day of travel. “We’re going to take a nap as soon as we get to Soso,” said Gray. “It’s the first Christmas with our baby, so we’re really excited.”
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