Tampa International expecting to see record number of travelers during spring break season

TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa International Airport is already breaking travel records as the spring break season ramps up.

TPA officials say they saw an all-time record number of travelers about two weeks ago, and they’re expecting to break more records by the end of the spring break season.

Millions of people are expected to travel through Tampa through the beginning of April. Now through the beginning of April, TPA is expecting nearly three million passengers to come through the airport.

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"An average day at this airport is about 60,000 people," TPA Vice President of Operations Adam Bouchard said. "We had 93,000 people through the building just two Sundays ago. For spring break, we could see upwards of 100,000. And we've never hit numbers like that here before."

Bouchard says the influx of travelers started earlier than expected.

TPA is expecting an average of well over 500 flights a day during the spring break season.

"When you factor in commercial aircraft and even general aviation, we're expecting to see upwards of 700 flights a day in and out of the airport," Bouchard said.

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St. Patrick’s Day is expected to be the peak travel day during this time period, with a projected record of more than 101,000 passengers.

"For those particularly traveling on airlines at Airside A and E, we especially encourage you to get to the airport early again," Bouchard said. "The lines will move. We're not talking about super-duper long waits, but compared to what people are used to, it's likely going to be a bit longer than people might expect."

Construction is already well underway to expand those airsides, to accommodate the growth.

When it comes to overall safety throughout the Tampa Bay area, Governor Ron DeSantis offered to send Florida Highway Patrol troopers to any law enforcement agencies around the state that are expecting big spring break crowds.

TPA officials confirmed that the FAA issued a brief ground stop on Thursday through Miami center airspace.

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"So, that's for flights coming to Tampa from south of Tampa," Bouchard said. "That was short-lived. Lasted for a few minutes. It did affect some flights, but there's no question, as we get into spring break, with the amount of traffic that's coming to Florida, there very well could be some air traffic delays."

Airport officials are hopeful the delays, if any, will be minimal, but they’re warning people to be prepared for some slowdowns over the next few weeks.

TPA officials say they’re expecting parking garages to be busy, so they’re encouraging people to book their parking spots ahead of time.

Officials say they’re expecting rental car centers to be particularly busy because of the high number of people coming from out of town.

Bouchard says people can also use the Uber Eats app to order food and drinks at the airport ahead of time, to cut down on wait times.

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