TAMPA, Fla. — 2.7 million people across the country are expected to board planes on Wednesday.
“We are going to be very busy,” said Tampa International Airport spokesperson Emily Nipps.
It will be a record-breaking travel holiday for Tampa International Airport through Nov. 26.
“Up to 80,000 to 85,000 passengers on peak days. That’s compared to a typical day of 65,000 to 70,000 passengers,” said Nipps.
“With that many people through the building, it might be a bit slower than people are used to,” said Adam Bouchard, vice president of TPA operations.
Their biggest concern is parking. It’s going to be tight.
TPA officials expect the parking garages to be near or at capacity.
“Our biggest tip for people who are planning to come park at the airport is to book that parking online. You will be guaranteed a space when you come to the airport if you book online. If you don’t have a reservation, it could be a little tough,” said Nipps.
That’s why they’re urging people to get to the airport early. It’s especially important this year.
So far, many people have been able to get to where they need to go without a ton of issues.
“All the flights were there when they were supposed to be there,” said Joseph Moreno, who flew into TPA.
But airport officials said that can change if we see weather impacts.
“Usually around this time of year and especially around the holidays and Christmas time, New Year’s is when we see those northeastern storms,” said Nipps.
“Always a good idea if you see that bad weather coming, reach out to your airline early. See if they can accommodate you. If you can connect through a different airport, might be a little bit easier for you,” said Bouchard.
Officials said airlines and the FAA have ironed out most of the staffing problems, so if there are delays, it shouldn’t be because of that.
“So we think that it will be as smooth as it can be, but if there’s icy weather some place or if there’s a delay happening particularly in a big city, that can have a domino effect on the entire country,” said Nipps.
Airport officials also want to remind people to check their carry-on luggage before heading to TSA.
The most commonly confiscated items this time of year are jelly, gravy, cranberry sauce and bottles of wine.
