Holiday travel in full swing at South Florida airports
MIAMI - The holiday travel rush is not yet over as New Year's Eve is fast approaching and Miami has always been a popular hub for festivities.
Miami International Airport set a new record over the weekend. It saw almost 200,000 travelers pass through its terminals on Saturday, and it's on pace to see a possibly busier 2024.
On Tuesday, Ezekiel Zapata and his family returned from Panama City. He was just one of about 2.8 million travelers that's expected to come through the airport during the 17-day winter holiday travel period.
"We're the place to be in the winter when it's snowing and cold in other places," said airport spokesman Greg Chin.
He said while Saturday set a record, the end of the week was close.
"We averaged from Thursday, Friday, and Saturday almost 190,000 passengers (a day)," he said.
Chin said at MIA the heavy volume of travelers stretches out a little longer.
"So Christmas and New Year's Eve travel time is the busiest for us for the whole year. We expect a busy weekend this coming weekend and next week even going into Three King's Day when a lot of people travel from Latin America," he said.
Travelers said it can be hectic at this time of year but the holiday spirit helps make it feel more fun.
According to Flight Aware, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport has seen 339 delays and 9 cancelations, while MIA reported 325 delays and one cancelation.