ORLANDO, Fla. — About 1.75 million passengers are expected at Orlando International Airport over the 12-day Thanksgiving holiday period that began Friday, Greater Orlando Aviation Authority officials said.
That would match the same record milestone reached in 2019, before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and would be about 157,000 additional passengers over a year ago, officials said.
The busiest travel day is forecast to be Saturday, Nov. 26, when 165,000 passengers are expected.
Projected passenger traffic at Orlando International Airport over the 12-day Thanksgiving period:
Ranked by busiest days
- Saturday, Nov. 26: 165,100
- Saturday, Nov. 19: 161,400
- Sunday, Nov. 27: 158,500
- Monday, Nov. 28: 150,900
- Wednesday, Nov. 23: 150,600
- Sunday, Nov. 20: 150,300
- Tuesday, Nov. 22: 147,900
- Friday, Nov. 18: 147,200
- Monday, Nov. 21: 143,300
- Friday, Nov. 25: 138,100
- Tuesday, Nov. 29: 134,000
- Thursday, Nov. 24: 110,500
“Being able to reach our record pre-pandemic traffic numbers, this holiday season, is a reality we didn’t think would happen for several years,” says Kevin Thibault, chief executive officer of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. “Orlando International is ready for the increase. We have the new world-class Terminal C that will help ease overcrowding. There are new systems in place to assist with parking and we have innovative technology and processes in place to enhance the customer experience.”
The good news comes with a little bad news, too, though, as the availability of airport parking will be a concern. All of its parking garages, the North Park Place and the South Park Place parking lots could reach capacity, officials said.
West Park Place, which is only activated during extremely busy periods, will also be operational when all other parking is full, officials said. They urged travelers seeking parking at the airport to monitor the MCO App for the most up-to-date parking information.