TAMPA, Fla. — 2023 proved to be Tampa International Airport's busiest Thanksgiving in its history. Now, airport officials say nearly 80,000 passengers are expected to pass through TPA each day until Dec. 2.
In a news release, officials said while Thanksgiving Day is expected to be low traffic, the Sunday and Monday afterward are projected to be the busiest with an estimated 86,000 passengers passing through each day.
While a busy holiday travel season is expected, TPA Communications Director Emily Nipps says things are moving smoothly so far.
"We're happy. It's been very smooth," Nipps said. "We're not seeing any of these northern storms that impact us this time of year, so everybody's getting ready to go."
But, that doesn't mean passengers shouldn't plan ahead, especially when it comes to parking. TPA officials said it is "very likely" that airport parking garages could reach capacity at several points during the holiday season.
Nipps added that the airport's cellphone waiting lot "will be your friend" when picking up passengers from TPA during this time of year.
"You want to park over there, wait until you get a call or a text message from your person who's arrived, and then come and pick them up," Nipps said.
Other tips TPA shared for this year's holiday season include arriving at the airport early, checking your pockets to make it through TSA smoothly, and use mobile food apps like Uber Eats to skip long lines at TPA's food options.
Click here for more tips on surviving TPA this holiday season.