Airports preparing for holiday travelers amid COVID pandemic

LONG ISLAND - Airports are getting ready for an influx of travelers as the holiday season quickly approaches, but are people really ready to take to the skies again amid the COVID-19 pandemic?

Passengers at Long Island MacArthur Airport were wearing masks and taking precautions, and said that for the time being, COVID-19 isn’t interfering with their travel plans.

MacArthur Airport has been open throughout the coronavirus pandemic and was one of the first in the country to introduce air and surface pathogen reduction technology. officials recently added another layer of protection to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

High-touch surfaces throughout the terminal have since had an antimicrobial film adhesive applied to them. Officials say the adhesive contains silver ions that react with germ cells to keep surfaces disinfected.

The most recent data collected here at MacArthur Airport shows about 45% occupancy on the landed and departed aircraft. Officials do expect that number to go up once the state lifts travel restrictions. But not everyone is comfortable flying right now.

The CDC estimates nearly 11,000 people may have been exposed to coronavirus on flights between January and August.

MacArthur Airport is only scheduling 20-percent of their normal flights each day. While the numbers here do fluctuate, other smaller airports are still seeing reduced service overall.