LOCAL : Travelers Crowd O.C. Airport

With the busiest travel day of the year well in gear, John Wayne Airport officials reported no major problems this morning as the first of an expected 18,000 holiday travelers crossed the corridors in the 2-month-old facility.

Airport spokeswoman Courtney Wiercioch reported heavy traffic early this morning but smooth going as only a few additional operations workers were required to keep the traffic moving. So far, Wiercioch said, the largest crowds appeared during the morning rush hour. She was expecting another crunch period between 4 and 7 this evening.

Before their arrival at John Wayne, travelers were flooding local cab companies and shuttle services with calls.

Yellow Cab Manager Fred McCuistion said his drivers were arriving at travelers’ homes by 5:30 a.m. to ensure their arrival at the airport for 7 a.m. flights. By late morning, McCuistion said dispatchers had 14 callers waiting for service, most of them headed to the airport. For those who had not made reservations, he said, waiting times averaged 35 minutes.