Orange County

Orlando airport expects near pre-pandemic number of travelers Memorial Day weekend

ORLANDO, Fla. — The biggest travel weekend in more than a year is officially underway.

Many people in Central Florida are already on the move after last year’s Memorial Day holiday was wiped out by the pandemic.

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A lot of people are expected down here in Central Florida for the weekend. AAA said Orlando is its No. 1 market for travel bookings this holiday weekend.

Officials at Orlando International Airport are expecting traffic to approach pre-pandemic numbers.

READ: Travel numbers climb as Americans hit the road for holiday

The airport expects to have 56,000 people departing OIA on Friday, which is 11,000 more than those who took off in the entire six-day travel period surrounding Memorial Day last year.

The airport believes the proliferation of vaccines and the pent-up demand for travel is fueling the activity.

Jeff Deal

Jeff Deal, WFTV.com

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

Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson, WFTV.com

Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.