Things are a little busier at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport this week as the Democratic National Convention is in town. As 11,000 people flew into the North Carolina airport on Sunday, they may have noticed that there were some changes including a high number of security agents. Those traveling on the roads have also noticed some changes.
Officers from several different agencies were assigned to the airport that had hundreds of politicians and delegates come through.
The Transportation Security Administration added 161 additional officers for the DNC. Some of these officers include explosives specialists, canine teams and behavior detection officers who look out for suspicious activity and people.
There is also added police activity from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and even police officers from Atlanta.
"This would be a bad place to try to hold up today," Jerry Orr, an aviation director told WSOCTV.
Those returning home to Charlotte also noticed a big difference.
"A lot of TSA employees, a lot of dogs, a lot of delegates coming in for the DNC," Tiajuana Weeden told WSOCTV.
Some travelers were told that they would have to make arrangements to be picked up from the upper level of the airport instead of the usual lower level.
There are also hundreds of volunteers at the airport who are there to help direct travelers and inform them about changes.
There were also some changes made for road travelers and locals so traffic could continue to run smoothly. New signs were placed on the road to direct road travelers.
On Labor Day, road construction was suspended to make road travel as fast as possible around the state, but due to road closures, parking restrictions and changes to public transportation, traffic may be more congested than usual.
Road travelers are advised to leave early, stay alert to notice changes on the road, and keep informed by listening to traffic reports.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
