MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - We’re nearing the holiday hustle with Thanksgiving just a week away.
Airport officials said you can expect to see a record number of people to fly through Miami International Airport for the holidays.
“I expect more delays because of the necessity to start early,” said traveler Mark Bynoe.
“We know it’s very, very busy during the American Thanksgiving, so that’s why we got it in before,” said Janice Ducharme, who is visiting from Canada.
People at MIA beat the busy crowds ahead of the holiday travel season.
With the U.S. now letting vaccinated, non-U.S. citizens enter the country, airport officials expect a record number of people to come through.
”The border opened on the 8th of November, and we were on the plane,” said Ducharme.
With holiday travel comes holiday weather.
A significant storm has the potential to disrupt travel plans from the Midwest to the Northeast and could start to develop as early as Sunday from Chicago to New York.
“Please, everyone, use constraint this holiday season, don’t dampen the holiday cheer,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
Miami-Dade leaders shared the do’s and don’ts while at the airport during a conference early Wednesday.
They suggest getting to the airport at least two hours early for domestic flights and three hours for international flights.
Mask wearing will be strictly enforced.
The FAA reported 5,000 cases of unruly passengers at airports across the country this year. Miami-Dade leaders said 452 of those happened at MIA.
The FAA estimates 80 percent of those incidents stemmed from arguments regarding face coverings, many involving alcohol consumption.
“If it’s you and you’re feeling a little boisterous, listen, don’t take that extra drink because you might not get to travel,” said Levine Cava.
The TSA said they’ll be fully staffed to help ease security lines.
You can also expect a larger law enforcement presence over the holiday months.
“We’ve augmented the staffing that we have to include bicycle patrols, both on peak times during the days and the afternoons as well as we’re going to our incident containment team that is ready to respond to any type of threat,” said Miami-Dade Police Department Airport District Maj. Eric Garcia.
Airport officials and county leaders also ask people to pack their patience.
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