TAMPA, Fla. — TSA is expecting another surge of passengers between Christmas and New Year’s, following record travel over Thanksgiving. At Tampa International Airport, officials are preparing for an additional 10,000 passengers per day. Saturday is likely to be the busiest day, with an estimated 91,000 people traveling through the airport to make it home in time for Christmas.
“People will definitely see that it’s a lot busier in the airport, but we’ve been preparing for this for several weeks,” said Emily Nipps, a TPA spokesperson. “We prepare by making sure that we’re fully staffed in all of our shops and restaurants, our TSA checkpoints are fully staffed, we’ve got all of our operations staff on hand, our guest experience staff – so everybody’s here, ready for the influx of travelers.”
Busy morning at TPA! 🎄✈️
Airport officials say today will likely be the busiest day of the Christmas/New Year’s travel period, with ~91,000 passengers expected to pass through.
Live throughout the morning on @BN9 and @MyNews13. pic.twitter.com/n3xpVDcddQ
— Brian Rea (@brianmrea) December 23, 2023
The biggest message from the airport is to book your parking online ahead of time to guarantee a spot, as officials are expecting the garages to fill up. Travelers are also encouraged to use Blue Express Curbside for faster drop-off and pickup to help eliminate congestion.
Last year’s holiday travel season was plagued by delays, cancellations and lost luggage, mainly among passengers on Southwest Airlines. Officials at TPA are expecting a much smoother experience for travelers this year.
“A lot of those kinks have worked themselves out, so we’re not really seeing those kinds of issues,” Nipps said. “I think people are now kind of accustomed to seeing those kinds of issues, they always check ahead of time but we do recommend – especially during busy times of the year – that you check with your airline before you come to the airport, just to make sure there are no delays.”
Travelers on Saturday said their journey through TPA was smooth, with few delays or headaches.
“The economy lot was filled up, but we got a parking spot,” said Matt Gorman, who was traveling to Michigan with his family. “That was a little nervous moment at that point, but it’s good so far.”
While some were flying out for the holiday, others were eagerly waiting to welcome loved ones home to Tampa. April McLaughlin and her sister, Robin, drove into the airport from Citrus County.
“This is a really nice airport. They’ve done a great job here,” McLaughlin said. “It makes it pleasant. You can just pull in. They give you an hour of free parking when you pick someone up.”
Every Christmas, the sisters make a tradition of putting on their festive finest to greet McLaughlin’s son, who flies in from Philadelphia.
“We get a lot of comments,” McLaughlin said. “Everybody’s happy. It’s a happy time of year for most people. I know there’s people that struggle, but I think that everybody tries to bring a little happiness.”
Due to the influx of travelers, airport officials recommend allowing yourself plenty of extra time to find parking and get through security. The busiest times of day are typically first thing in the morning, around lunchtime and again around 5 p.m.
The Saturday following Christmas Day and the weekend after New Year’s Day are also expected to be busy travel days.
