TAMPA, Fla. – Tampa International Airport is preparing for one of its busiest weekends of the year as summer travelers take to the skies for the Fourth of July.
By the numbers:
From Thursday, July 3 through Monday, July 7, more than 364,000 passengers are expected to pass through the airport.
“The summer months are really a sustained period of heavy travel,” said Beau Zimmer, communications manager at Tampa International. “We see a lot of people coming through the airport, heading out on vacation, heading to go see relatives they haven’t seen in a long time.”
While spring break remains the airport’s single busiest stretch, Zimmer says this July 4th holiday marks a peak in what has already been a crowded summer.
Pictured: Tampa International Airport.
Tips for Travelers:
Zimmer advises passengers to book early departures when possible and allow extra time to navigate parking, shuttles, and security checkpoints, especially during the 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. peak hours.
“We get busy when the airlines are busy,” he said. “The very popular time to depart TPA is six in the morning, and also they have another peak at around six in the afternoon.”
Daily afternoon thunderstorms, common across Central Florida this time of year, can delay flights by grounding operations.
“When the lightning is within a certain number of miles of the airport, they’ve got to shut down those operations, bring everybody inside for safety,” Zimmer explained. “That can cause some challenges.”
RELATED: Fourth of July travel could reach ‘historic’ levels in Florida, AAA says
What’s Different This Year:
In addition to weather and crowds, airport travelers may notice shuttle service disruptions as Tampa International continues replacing aging airside vehicles.
“You’ll see one of the shuttles maybe not operating. They’re being worked on for maintenance,” Zimmer said. “We’re still running those shuttles throughout the day and evening hours, but this is part of a larger replacement process.”
The Source: This story is based on on-camera interviews with Beau Zimmer, Communications Manager at Tampa International Airport, and the latest national travel projections from AAA, which anticipates 5.84 million Americans flying domestically for Independence Day, a new record.
