July 4th holiday weekend rush moves into high gear at Orlando International Airport

ORLANDO, Fla. — Waves of travelers were moving through Orlando International Airport Friday morning as a busy July 4th holiday travel weekend begins.

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The surge comes as airline passengers around the country have seen major delays over weather and staffing issues.

You’ll find a lot of people at Orlando International Airport this weekend as the Independence Day holiday weekend gets underway.

Read: Flight delays, cancellations ahead of July 4 holiday

The TSA expects Friday to be the busiest day of the travel stretch nationwide, but in Orlando, it’s just the beginning.

Airport officials estimated around 157,000 people will pass through OIA on Friday.

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They also estimate more than 2 million people will use OIA over the next 13 days of the July 4th travel period.

According to OIA officials, passenger numbers should be 16% higher than last year.

Read: AAA: Floridians expected to travel in record numbers during July 4 holiday

Nationally, a record 4.2 million people are expected to catch a flight this weekend.

This comes after a hectic week of travel across the country, with extreme weather staffing shortages, and other factors delaying and canceling thousands of flights.

See more in the video above.

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