A Breeze Airway jet unloads at the Ogdensburg International Airport. NCNow photo.

BY JIMMY LAWTONNorth Country This Week

OGDENSBURG — The popularity of Breeze Airways’ weekly in-person Tuesday ticket sales at Ogdensburg International Airport has led to long lines and waits of up to an hour, prompting airport officials to look at adding another computer to speed up the process.

The ticket sales take place Tuesdays from 9 to 11 a.m. Airport Manager Charlie Garrelts said some customers have been arriving as early as 8 a.m. to secure their place in line, which can wind around the airport’s benches.

“We’ve been getting a lot of people that are waiting for an hour and couldn’t get their tickets,” Garrelts said.

Airport officials said they are working to get another computer at the ticket counter, which would allow three people to sell tickets at the same time.

The current two-hour window has become increasingly busy as more people take advantage of the airline’s discounted in-person ticket sales. Officials discussed how the growing crowds could be managed while keeping the airport entrance accessible for travelers arriving for flights.

“We don’t want” people waiting in line to block the main entrance, Garrelts said.

Officials also discussed whether customers could be better prepared before reaching the counter. Breeze customers can download the airline’s app and decide on their travel plans in advance, reducing the time spent at the counter.

Garrelts said staff members already remind people waiting in line to have the app downloaded and their information ready, although it can be difficult to reach everyone when the line is busy.

Another issue is that a single customer can purchase tickets for multiple people, sometimes as many as 10 tickets in one transaction. Officials discussed whether to limit the number of tickets purchased per transaction, but the discussion favored increasing the number of terminals rather than imposing a limit.

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