Labor Day holiday travel increases from last year

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando International Airport said it expects 20% more travelers than last year, including 128,000 passengers on Sunday.

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And that’s just during this six-day Labor Day travel period.

Travelers should be prepared for delays and a lot of traffic.

Read: Labor Day travel surge expected at Orlando International Airport this weekend

More than 764,000 thousand travelers are expected to fly through OIA between last Thursday and this Tuesday.

Some families camped out Sunday night so they don’t miss their flight in the morning.

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For Jalena Post and her family, winging it means a sleepover at the airport ahead of their 6 a.m. flight home.

They got the idea after they were confronted by large crowds when they landed on Friday.

Read: FAA investigates close call between small plane, jetliner at OIA

“We were like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is giving us anxiety for what we’re going to deal with trying to get back home,’” Post said.

Hilda Medina is looking forward to more choices of stores with the expansion of Terminal C. She said she hopes the project makes the airport a little less chaotic.

Read: “We’re getting real close”: New terminal at Orlando International Airport nearing completion

The roughly $2.8 billion expansion includes 15 new gates and will raise passenger capacity at the airport from 47 million to 60 million.

This week, airport officials are expected to give an update during a news conference Tuesday morning. The terminal is expected to open at the end of the month.

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