Security lines were shorter and foot traffic inside Denver International Airport was slower than usual on Thursday, but officials say that will change this weekend. 

This year was different because travelers are all wearing masks, some had face shields, and others wore plastic gloves. But Dec. 24 and 25 are historically low traffic days, said Emily Williams, a spokesperson for DIA. 

Of the 25,000 travelers scheduled to depart on Thursday, many were able to breeze right through security. The longest wait time recorded as 12 minutes as of 2 p.m., Williams said

These wait times align with average times recorded by DIA officials since the COVID-19 pandemic struck Colorado in March. However, some baggage check lines had travelers waiting for over an hour.

But as the weekend approaches, Williams is warning that those lines could nearly double.

“This coming Sunday and Jan. 3 are projected to be very busy days here as were expecting close to 40,000 passengers,” Williams said.

Despite the expected increase in traffic starting this weekend, the numbers are still down nearly 50% compared to 2019.

Flyers are being encouraged to utilize a new service provide through VeriFLY that allows an person to scheduled a security screening time within a 15-minute window.

Anyone interested just needs to download the app and will then be prompted to select a time-window that fits their flight schedule, Williams said. 

As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads in communities throughout Colorado and the United States, officials urge travelers to do their part and mitigate the spread.

“Most of our flights arrive around the same time during our busy periods, so by waiting a few extra minutes to go to the train platform, bathroom, coffee shop, whatever, will make (a traveler’s) experience less crowded,” Williams said.