Tampa International Airport preparing for busy Thanksgiving travel period

TAMPA, Fla. – With AAA projecting record-breaking travel numbers this Thanksgiving, Tampa International Airport is preparing for the large influx of passengers taking to the skies.

Airport officials say this Sunday, Nov. 24, will likely be the busiest day, with projections showing more than 85,000 people will pass through TPA.

As for the official Thanksgiving travel period, which runs from Tuesday, Nov. 26 through Monday, Dec. 2, AAA says nearly 80 million people nationwide will travel at least 50 miles. That includes 4.5 million Floridians.

RELATED: Record Thanksgiving travel expected ‘across the board,’ AAA projects

About 5.8 million people are expected to fly, including roughly 290,000 Florida residents, according to AAA’s projections. Those numbers would surpass previous records set in 2023.

“I would pack your patience if you are heading into the airport,” said Sean Cudahy, reporter with travel website The Points Guy. “I think with people working from home, and remotely, we can expect to see the crowds spread out over Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday ahead of the holiday with Wednesday being the busiest.”

TPA officials are urging passengers to give themselves plenty of time – not just because of larger crowds, but also because of ongoing construction projects to expand security checkpoints at Airsides A and E, along with the shuttle replacement project.

To check the status of your flight into or out of TPA, click here.

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