TAMPA — From Memorial Day weekend to mid-August, Tampa International Airport expects a record-breaking summer this year.
“We’re seeing beyond pre-COVID numbers,” said TPA spokesperson Emily Nipps.
Airlines have added extra routes because of high demand, and TPA officials are gearing up for their busiest summer yet.
“We think on peak days we might hit 90,000 passengers or more. That’s very high for us,” said Nipps.
That’s about 15,000 to 20,000 more passengers than this time last year.
“We’ve seen a very, very busy March and April, and we expect to see that continue during Memorial Day weekend. This is really the kick-off to the very busy summer we’re expecting,” said Nipps.
Airport officials said people should expect longer lines through TSA and issues finding parking.
They suggest getting to the airport two hours early, booking parking online to guarantee a spot and save some money, and using the Blue Express Curbside for passengers who don’t need to check in or check a bag.
“Those are a big amenity, a little bit of a travel hack if you haven’t tried them before. They are much smoother and faster curbs, so those roadways are much less congested than our typical pickup and drop off curb,” said Nipps.
Pets have become a growing issue at TPA.
“Some people like to bring their pets for reunions, to see family members who are coming home. It’s just not a really good place for animals. If you’re traveling with a pet, they need to be in a carrier or they need to be on a short leash if they’re bigger dogs,” said Nipps.
In terms of delays and cancellations, Nipps said they’ve seen a 200% improvement across the board compared to last year.
“Last spring and summer, we saw quite a few delays. Whenever there was a storm, it seemed to have a domino effect on all the airports. Storms are still going to cause disruptions but we’re hoping because staffing levels are higher than they were last year, we’re hoping we don’t see the kind of impacts that we saw last year and even through the holiday season,” said Nipps.
