By DEMIE JOHNSON
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
Indianapolis International Airport is ready for more travelers after adding several new updates in an effort to keep people safe from COVID-19.
Anyone planning to catch a plane anytime soon will notice more cleaning in seating areas and public spaces. Plexiglass shields have also been installed at ticket counters, Transportation Security Administration checkpoints, boarding gates and concession counters.
New safety signs and floor markers help keep people 6 feet apart. More sanitizing stations have been added. Airport employees and restaurant staff are required to wear masks.
Several people at the airport told News 8 their confidence to fly is rising for the first time in months, and a major part of that is the new safety measures the airport has put into place.
Mallory Brighton traveled nearly 2,000 miles from her home in Los Angeles to visit her family in Terre Haute. This week will be the first time she could see them in months.
“Knowing that I’m going to get to see my nieces and nephews and my family members, I am thrilled. I couldn’t be more excited,” Brighton said.
She knows COVID-19 is not over but said her hesitation to fly is gone. “I felt very safe traveling today, and, at some point, we gotta keep living our lives.”
Tim Sparks was leaving Indiana for an annual family vacation in North Carolina. He said it was a normal day of traveling so far. “I mean it might be different when I get on the plane and they make me wear that mask. But other than that, I’ve not noticed anything different.”
Along with the visual changes, safety reminders blare from the airport loudspeakers every few minutes.
A spokesperson said air traffic has picked up this week and is expected to be busier by next week.