RSW expecting a record increase in holiday travel, asking travelers to plan ahead

Reporter: Tiffany Rizzo Writer: Matthew Seaver
Published: Updated:
FILE: Line of travelers at RSW. (Credit: WINK News)

The Thanksgiving travel rush is in full swing. This time of the year is one of the busiest times for airports across the country, so if you are planning to fly, prepare for a crowd.

RSW says the biggest tips it has for travelers are to plan ahead and arrive early as the airport is already seeing an increase in travelers.

In the last 5 months alone, RSW has seen record-breaking traffic and is anticipating even breaking its record of 10.2-million airline passengers in 2019.

More people are expected to travel this Thanksgiving as restrictions lift and people feel safer. AAA predicts 53.4-million Americans will be taking to the sky to see their loved ones. That is up 13% from 2020.

RSW is preparing for this increase by asking travelers to plan ahead. Barbara-Anne Urruita with the Lee County Port Authority said, “arrive early, be in your security line two hours ahead of time, we always ask passengers to, you know, know what the weather is and the destination they’re traveling to. Because if there’s inclement weather, that can affect their plans, and we want them to talk to their airline to make sure they know of any updates to their flight schedules. Of course, this year, you must wear a mask at an airport and on airplanes.”

RSW told WINK News that this week the airport will be very busy, so if you were hoping for no lines and an empty plane this Thanksgiving, think again.

“We’ve almost recovered, like, it’s 99.8% of our traffic. And the next closest airports are like in the 80, 85, or 75. So that means that our airline partners have seen the strength in this market, and people keep coming in and out of Fort Myers,” said Urruita.

The busiest day for travel will be the Sunday after Thanksgiving as people will be flying in and out of the airport to return home.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.