ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando International Airport is known to the busiest airport in the nation and things are about to get busier this holiday season.
“TSA on the average right now screens about 70,000 passengers a day and we can see that number go to 85,000 on a given day just before or after a holiday,” Siri Koshetz, a spokesperson for OIA, said.
Airport officials said traveling could be stressful during the holidays which is why airport officials want to make sure passengers double-check their suitcases before going through the TSA checkpoint.
"TSA officers here at Orlando have already stopped 83 firearms this year at the checkpoints," Koshetz explained.
This year, OIA inaugurated it’s “MCO Paw Pilots” program in order to reduce travel-related stress for passengers.
Officials said the airport also remodeled the west checkpoint and maximized the use of space by adding more lanes for TSA agents to process more travelers.
“We are always on the top five destinations in the U.S. so it’s exciting when you look at the attractions that are here in town that bring the first time guests and repeat guests,” Brian Engle, Director of Customer Experience, said.
Airport officials say the most heavily traveled day will be November 30, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, with nearly 170,000 passengers in the terminal.
The airport is expected to have more than 1.75 million travelers between Thanksgiving week and Christmas.