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Sunday marked busiest day of Thanksgiving travel season at Orlando International Airport

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Published  December 2, 2024 9:30pm EST
Orange County
FOX 35 Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. - It was a calm Sunday morning at Orlando International Airport (MCO). 

This, despite airport officials expecting more than 180,000 arriving and departing passengers to pass through the airport. 

"I didn't think I was going to be able to park or anything, but we were able to park. We saw the lines and said, okay we have some extra time, let's just hang out for a little while," said visitor Cynthia Ostrowski.

Officials say overall, the Thanksgiving travel season has brought nearly two million travelers through the airport. Airport leaders say if you're flying out today, get here well ahead of your scheduled flight, and pack your patience. 

"Don’t underestimate how busy it will be at the airport 3 hours before, at the checkpoint 2 hours, and gate 1 hour before," said Kevin Thibault, Orlando International Airport CEO.

While these numbers might seem like a lot, it's actually a dip from the number of travelers this time a year ago. Officials said airlines reducing flights and ongoing aircraft delivery delays may be to blame for the drop-off. The morning's travelers said it had been smooth sailing, so far. 

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"It hasn't been too overwhelming, just yet. Once we get outside we'll see as far as traffic, but so far it's not terrible," said Andrew Curtis, who was returning to Orlando.

Travelers said MCO’s layout and staff make it easy to get around. 

"I think this airport does a lot better than other airports is it manages the travelers so that you never feel overwhelmed by the number of people, which is really nice," said Emily McKaskle, who was flying to Texas.

AAA says Orlando remains the number-one destination for this holiday travel period, with Miami and Fort Lauderdale rounding-out the top three. If you want to get all the latest information about flights and also airport parking, you can find that all on the official MCO app. 

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