WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department issued a worldwide travel alert Friday, one of the busiest travel days of the year, urging international travelers to be cautious.
The alert followed what the State Department called a "lone wolf" attack in Australia this week in which two hostages were killed after being held at a busy cafe.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport officials said Friday is the airport's busiest day of the year, with more than 25,000 passengers expected.
The airport backup began long before the check-in lines Friday and was growing by the minute.
"Surprised to see these long queue at Charlotte airport. Usually it's half an hour into the gate actually," said Srikant Telikeplli, who was traveling from Charlotte to Dallas with his family.
But wait times were much longer Friday.
Many travelers told Eyewitness News that they allowed extra time to make sure things went smoothly.
"The traffic was a little worse than usual," said Jennifer Givot, who came to drop off her daughter for a cross-country flight.
Despite the security warning from the State Department, she said she believes that her daughter will be safe.
"I feel like Charlotte is pretty good," Givot said. "I feel like everybody keeps an eye on things."
The travel warning urges people to be "extra cautious," specifically when traveling abroad.
The warning said there is a "focus by terrorists not only on the targeting of U.S. government facilities but also on hotels, shopping areas, places of worship and schools" during the holiday period.
Travelers who spoke to Channel 9 said they aren't worried about airports at home.
"I feel that TSA takes good care of us, so it is not a problem," Telikeplli said.
But many were concerned about how long they'd be waiting in lines and also about their baggage.
Friday's warning doesn't expire until March.
The State Department urges people traveling internationally to register with its Smart Traveler Enrollment Program at https://step.state.gov/step/.
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