Easter weekend expected to be busiest at MCO since pandemic began

ORLANDO, Fla. - This Easter weekend, Orlando International Airport is anticipating one of its busiest weekends since the coronavirus pandemic began.

Airport officials said they project 207,374 passengers to depart the airport from Friday through Monday, compared to 12,339 departures during the same time period last year.

That is a 1,600-percent increase.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still warning against unnecessary travel but it seems more and more people are flying as they get the COVID vaccine.

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The Transportation Safety Administration said more than one million people have passed through security checkpoints across the country every day this week. This time last year, those number were struggling to surpass 150,000.

The cost of plane tickets is also expected to rebound.

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A recent AP report found the price of tickets dropped nearly 28 percent in 2020 but experts expect prices to increase about five percent every month until summer.