Orange County

Flight cancellations causing headaches for some passengers at OIA

ORLANDO, Fla. — The holiday travel season remains in full swing, and Orlando International Airport continues to see a record number of travelers going through its gates.

According to airport officials, Monday is expected to be the fourth busiest day this travel season.

Airport officials say they expect 146,000 people to pass through TSA checkpoints on Monday.

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Flight delays and cancellations continue to be a problem at airports around the world this holiday season.

COVID-19′s impact on airline staffing has been blamed for many of the issues, and it’s affecting passengers at OIA.

At least 44 flights in and out of the airport have been cancelled on Monday.

Read: Coronavirus: CDC recommends shorter COVID isolation, quarantine times

“Yeah, we got here early because everybody comes here early. So, why not join the crowd?” said one woman traveling to New York.

Jeff Bowen, who is flying to the United Kingdom, said he isn’t worried about delays.

“There’s one change for today. We’re going out 40 minutes later than we would’ve, but we knew about that before we left,” Bowen said.

Read: Free vaccination events to take place throughout Orlando this week

Bowen said he got here early for a scheduled COVID test and had no problems.

Plans didn’t go smoothly for all travelers, though.

One passenger told Channel 9 that she waited three hours to get tested and missed her flight to Jamaica.

Read: Coronavirus symptom checker: Does a cough mean omicron, a cold or the flu?

Airport officials want to remind anyone planning to park at the airport to arrive three hours before their flight.

Also check to make sure your flight isn’t cancelled or delayed before heading to the airport.

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Jeff Deal

Jeff Deal, WFTV.com

I joined the Eyewitness News team as a reporter in 2006.