Thanksgiving air travel may reach pre-pandemic levels at Orlando International Airport

ORLANDO, Fla. — As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, Orlando International Airport is preparing to see numbers near pre-pandemic levels.

Airport leaders said estimates place the total number of travelers at only 2.5% less than the record crowds of 2019.

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Officials said four out of the biggest travel days are expected to exceed the numbers seen in 2019.

Estimates show only around 21,000 less passengers are expected during this year’s Thanksgiving travel season than in 2019.

“Based on conservative estimates, we expect that passenger activity for this Thanksgiving travel season will be approximately that of 2019,” says Phil Brown, chief executive officer of the greater Orlando Aviation Authority. “The newly reopened international markets, along with continued pent up domestic demand, is driving our numbers in the right direction.”

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The Thanksgiving holiday travel season starts on Friday, Nov. 19, and runs through Tuesday, Nov. 30.

An estimated 1.63 million passengers are expected to travel through Orlando International Airport.

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Officials said the busiest travel day during that period is expected to be Saturday, Nov. 27, with an estimated 154,400 passengers.

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