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Orlando sees smooth sailing during busy holiday travel weekend

ORLANDO, Fla. — A big weekend of travel for Central Florida is winding down and a record number of passengers moved through Orlando International Airport.

Along with a busy weekend at the airport it was the first holiday with Brightline trains up and running from OIA to South Florida.

The Brightline Station saw big crowds for its first holiday weekend.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, airport officials expected nearly 185,000 people to pass through the gates.

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While there have been some delays passengers told Channel 9 that things have been pretty smooth.

Overall, there were plenty of space in parking garages and not many people hanging out around the airport like we’ve seen during other holiday travel periods.

Over in Terminal C at the train station, Brightline travelers told Eyewitness New that using the service was also seamless.

“It was very punctual too,” said Krystal Rodriguez. “We even had like a little delay on the stop because a draw bridge was going up and we still got here in time.”

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People who had to take planes to their destination didn’t seem to have too many issues either.

At times, TSA wait times were nearly a half an hour and departure boards showed a handful of delays.

Saturday was predicted to be the busiest travel day for flyers and Sunday for Brightline.

Travelers said their trains were full, but the extra space didn’t make it feel that way.

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“I thought it was amazing, like there’s a lot of space when you sit down and stuff,” said Kayla Negron.

“It’s the best with kids it’s so easy, much easier than flying,” said Crystale Negron.

Two million people were expected to pass through Orlando International Airport this Thanksgiving travel period, which is a 17 %% increase compared to last year.

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