GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – Many Eastern Carolinians are taking to the skies for Memorial Day Weekend. AAA says this is the busiest start-of-summer in nearly 20 years.

Passengers could be seen waiting on a flight at the Pitt-Greenville Airport in Greenville Friday.

Rosemarie Nowak says she’s returning to Michigan after celebrating with friends and family here in the east.

“We got invited for a flight for my birthday to come and be a week with Harold’s sister, so now we’re flying home,” Nowak said.

The airport’s Executive Director Bill Hopper says time of year doesn’t have much of an impact on the amount of passengers.

“We have the 50 passenger aircraft and they’re pretty full and it doesn’t matter if it’s a holiday or a non-holiday they’re pretty full,” Hopper said.

The Transportation Security Administration predicts nearly 3 million people to pass through airport checkpoints across the country.

Nowak offers this advice to others after missing her flight out of Greenville.

“Stay home,” Nowak said. “Enjoy your surroundings, your family and everybody.”

AAA says 1.3 million North Carolinians are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the long holiday weekend.

Hopper says roughly 150 passengers are expected to depart from the Pitt-Greenville Airport Friday and the same number to return Monday.