If you’re heading out of town this holiday, the Calgary International Airport is gearing up for the season but that doesn’t mean that travelers should come unprepared.

The Airport Authority says the holiday rush is really expected to mount next week and they expect passenger volumes to grow by at least 30 or 40 percent.

The peak day is expected to be on December 21.

Officials say that on that day, as many as 50,000 people are expected to go through the airport.

They hope that everyone who uses the airport this season is as prepared as they can be for the security process they will face before boarding their plane.

Mathieu Larocque with the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority says they are expecting a lot of people this holiday season. “What we want to do is to facilitate the screening process to make sure that they are on their way as fast as possible so that they can enjoy the other side of security; the shops, the restaurants, everything.”

One of the most common issues that security officials come across is travelers bearing gifts.

Anyone who tries to check any wrapped presents will be expected to unwrap them so they can be inspected.

They also remind passengers to give themselves plenty of time to get through security and catch their plane.