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San Antonio airport prepares for extra big influx of travelers this spring

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The City of San Antonio said it expects to welcome an extra big influx of travelers this spring because of many big events, including the NCAA's Final Four basketball series in early April.

The last time the city hosted the tournament was 2018, and it saw thousands of people stream into and throughout the city.

Starting May 7, airport security will ask U.S. travelers for a Real ID.

But this year, the tournament will take place at the same time as the Valero Texas Open, the annual PGA tournament that is hosted on the far North Side. It starts on March 31.

After that, there's also Fiesta — the biggest party in San Antonio — from April 24 to May 4.

The San Antonio International Airport announced on Tuesday a new program that would allow a select few people without tickets to move past the security checkpoints and meet their air travelers at their gates or accompany them before saying goodbye.

Tonya Hope with the San Antonio International Airport said the facility has some surprises this year.

"We have some really unique things happening at the airport, some really unique activities at the airport that I think travelers are going to be thrilled with seeing," she explained.

Hope added: "I don't want to spoil the surprise, but there's going to be some musical entertainment. There's going to be some opportunities for some selfie photos. It's really going to be fun at the airport."

Hope said the airport has already seen a record number of visitors coming into the city, and more are on the way.

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Gabriella Alcorta-Solorio is a reporter for Texas Public Radio. She recently graduated from Texas State University with a major in journalism, minoring in women’s studies. She has previously worked as a photojournalist with The Ranger and has reported on Alzheimer’s and dementia in South Texas using public health data. Her main focuses include reporting on health as well as military and veterans issues. Alcorta-Solorio is a U.S. Army veteran.