Passengers Flock To Bay Area Airports For Christmas Travel Amid Omicron Concerns

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- As the days to Christmas counted down Saturday night, the lines at San Francisco Bay Area airports grew ever longer as did concerns over the outbreak of the omicron variant.

The outbreak in the Bay Area and across the country is coming at a time when most Americans were finally feeling comfortable hopping on planes again to visit friends and family around the globe.

Airport officials said Friday was one of their busiest days of the year. SFO reported on Friday alone, they saw roughly 55,000 passengers. Oakland officials said about 16,600 passengers went through the Oakland Airport on the same day. And TSA officials estimated about 15,000 travelers down at the San Jose Airport.

Nationally, airlines were projected to see a 184% increase from 2020.

Among those hitting the road was John Denurra.

"We've been cautious, we do use mask if there are too many of us," he said. "For the most part, we are concerned the latest variant coming out."

Public health officials advised travelers to rely on a layered approach to lowering risk, such as getting vaccinated, getting a booster shot, wearing a mask and using rapid testing after the trip.

A reminder that travel requirements have changed if you're flying internationally this holiday season. All passengers, regardless of vaccination status, must show a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 1 day before traveling back to the United States.

And for those opting to drive to their holiday destination, AAA predicts over 100 million Americans will be hitting the road this year.