The arrivals hall at Regina International Airport was filled with hugs and tears of joy as families reunited ahead of Christmas.

Andy Van Heerden was among those waiting for loved ones to arrive, welcoming his son home from Toronto for a two-week holiday visit.

Another family member arrived from Los Angeles, making the reunion even more special.

“It’s great to have him home and spend some time together as a family,” Andy said.

For Neldine Van Heerden, the reunion marked the first time she had seen her brother in two years.

“I’m very excited and glad to be spending the holidays with my family,” she said.

Those emotions were echoed by travellers arriving in Regina. Andy Van Heerden, returning home himself, said coming back for the holidays never gets old.

“It feels great to see my family. Every single time I come back, it’s such a big blessing,” he said.

Jewell Vanstone was waiting at the airport for her son’s flight to land, saying she felt grateful to be able to see him regularly.

“I’m very happy and thankful that he’s in Canada and that I get to see him more often,” she said.

Her son, Derek Vanstone, said returning to Saskatchewan was a welcome change after dealing with icy weather in Gatineau.

“I’m happily back in Saskatchewan, where we usually just have to deal with the dry cold,” he said.

The holiday rush is also keeping ground transportation busy. Cab driver Sunny Sharma said multiple trips from the same flight are common during the season.

“It’s super busy,” Sharma said. “We pick them up, drop them off downtown, and come right back again.”

The surge in holiday travel could help cap off one of the strongest years on record for the Regina airport. CEO James Bogusz said passenger numbers are trending toward pre-pandemic levels.

“If we continue the way we’re going, I suspect we’ll be nearly or possibly above our 2019 high,” Bogusz said.

Airport officials expect that growth to continue into next year, driven by increased demand for flights to sun destinations and cities in the U.S.