An estimated 3.6 million people are expected to pass through the Atlanta airport from March 27 through April 7, the busiest stretch of the spring break travel period that started in mid-March.
Some locales in Florida known as prime spring break destinations in years past, including Miami, have sought to limit the rowdy crowds and associated crime. But Miami International Airport says is still seeing record crowds, with passenger volumes up about 9% year-over-year.
And Orlando International Airport is having its busiest weeks of the year over the spring break period, seeing an 11% increase in passengers year-over-year.
In Atlanta, airport officials are advising travelers to get to the airport at least 2.5 hours before domestic flights and 3 hours before international flights.
While Friday will bring the biggest crowds streaming into the domestic terminal, Saturday is expected to be a peak day for international travel to the Atlanta airport, according to Zachary Thomas, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Atlanta port director.
“This Saturday is equivalent to our busiest day last year,” with about 23,000 international passengers arriving at Hartsfield-Jackson, Thomas said. That’s on par with international volumes last July during the peak summer period.
“People are eager to travel, eager to see family members,” Thomas said. “Throughout the pandemic, there were a lot of pent-up travel desires that really weren’t met and now they’re eager to get back out and see the world.”
International traffic is up about 18% year-over-year in Atlanta, according to Thomas, looking at figures for the fiscal year started in October.
“We have surpassed pre-pandemic levels pretty significantly,” Thomas said. Normally, spring is a slower season, but “we’re seeing numbers that are commensurate with last year’s summer season.”
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has added flights, with plans to fly its…
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