TPA in full swing for yet another busy Thanksgiving travel period

After last year's busiest Thanksgiving in Airport history, Tampa International Airport is gearing up for yet another high-traffic holiday travel season.

Nearly 80,000 passengers a day are expected to pass through TPA in this year's 13-day holiday travel period surrounding Thanksgiving, between Nov. 21 and Dec. 2. Passenger projections suggest the busiest day will likely fall on Nov. 24, the Sunday before Thanksgiving, when an estimated 85,724 passengers are expected to pass through TPA.

With the holiday surge of passengers converging on TPA, the Airport's parking team says some garages may reach capacity, so travelers are urged to book parking in advance on-line. The roof of the Short Term Parking garage suffered extensive damage in Hurricane Milton, but the Airport's team expects to have repairs made and the rooftop back open by the end of this week.

Guests who are using ride-share apps like Uber and Lyft for pick up are urged to use the Blue Express Curbsides to relieve congestion on the busy arrivals curbs.

Several construction projects to expand security checkpoints at Airsides A and E, along with the ongoing Shuttle replacement program, could lead to longer than normal lines. For that reason, passengers should continue to arrive at the Airport at least 2 hours before domestic flights and 3 hours before international travel.

Below are some more critical tips to make one of the Airport's busiest times of the year a smoother experience for all.