The holiday travel season is set to bring record-breaking crowds to airports in South Florida, with millions of passengers expected to pass through Miami International Airport (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) from Saturday through Monday, Jan. 6.
MIA is forecasting over 3 million passengers, marking a 1% increase compared to last year’s record travel numbers, according to airport director Ralph Cutie. Meanwhile, FLL anticipates a 6% rise in passenger traffic, expecting 2.1 million travelers.
To avoid the heavy crowds, the Gomes family planned their trip to Hawaii ahead of the peak travel days. “We left a few days early so we wouldn’t get caught in the big crowds we see on TV,” said Alicia Gomes, who is flying with her family to Hawaii.
The Gomes family flew on Spirit Airlines, the largest carrier at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport. Spirit Airlines CEO Ted Christie spoke with CBS News Miami, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the airline’s Operational Control Center. Christie highlighted the critical role of staff in ensuring flights run on time and efficiently. “These are the folks in charge of making sure the airline runs reliably. It’s a 24/7, 365 job,” Christie explained.
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