On Monday, restrictions on travel from 30 countries were lifted. People from countries including Canada, Mexico and most of the European Union can now enter the United States if they show proof of vaccination and a negative COVID test from the past three days.
"It's awesome," one woman said after arriving at DFW Airport for a flight to Brazil. "My family's over there."
Brazil is among the countries where restrictions are being lifted.
"We know what we need to do in order to be safe, and I think people will take the right precautions. It's not about whether you take the COVID shot or not. It's just about knowing what you need to do," another passenger who was headed to Mexico City said.
At a recent board meeting, DFW Airport said international travel was down about 40% from 2019, but airport leadership expects the number of international flights to increase as restrictions are lifted.
In September, DFW Airport had just 2,235 international flights, down from 3,590 in July 2019. DFW expects 2,801 flights this December.
Some passengers at DFW Monday say they expect airports to keep getting busier as Christmas approaches.
"I think everybody wants to be back with family. We don't take it for granted anymore," one woman said as she arrived for a flight to California.
She says she and her husband are planning an international trip over the winter.
"We're looking forward to going overseas this winter," she says. "We haven't been to Europe in a while. That'll be our first trip out of the country since this all started."
In December, DFW Airport says international flights are scheduled to 61 destinations.
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