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Millions of Americans to Travel During Memorial Day Weekend
More than 42 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles away from home during the Memorial Day weekend. This is according to AAA. Of this number, nearly 3.4 million will be catching a flight. Some of those passengers will be going through the Orlando and Tampa International airports.
Orlando Airport Prepares for High Volume of Travelers
The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority expects more than 1.1 million travelers to move through the airport during the busy holiday weekend. As the seventh busiest airport in the country, Orlando International is preparing for a high volume of travelers. Officials are predicting they could see nearly 170,000 travelers just on Saturday alone.
New Parking Lot to Accommodate the Influx of Traffic
The Orlando airport’s new West Park Place economy lot has 3,100 additional parking spots to accommodate the influx of traffic. The new parking lot is on Tradeport Drive.
TSA to Deploy Additional Staff in Orlando
To assist with some of the lines and taking care of the passengers, TSA will deploy additional staff in Orlando. These staff will be gathered from other airports that are a little less busy. Marquez Griffin, VP of Airport Operations, said, “they deploy them here in Orlando to assist with some of the lines and taking care of the passengers.”
Tampa Airport Gears Up for Its Busiest Summer Yet
Meanwhile in Tampa, the airport is gearing up for what officials predict will be its busiest summer yet. Airlines have added extra routes and with seat capacity expected to be high for anticipated high demand, TSA is reporting record passenger volumes. Tampa International expects to see an average of approximately 70,000 passengers per day, with as many as 90,000 passengers on its busiest days, which are typically Saturdays and Sundays.
Get to the Airport Early
Regardless of where you’re travelling to or from, officials do recommend you get to your departure airport three hours early to account for any unexpected delays or wait times. AAA expects this to be the busiest Memorial Day weekend for airports since 2005.
