Dec. 20--More than 1 million passengers are expected to fly in and out of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport from Dec. 20 to Jan. 2, airport officials announced Wednesday.
Airport traffic is forecast to increase 3 percent to 4 percent for the holidays, compared with the 2011 period, officials said.
On average, 72,857 travelers are expected daily during the 14-day holiday period. The airport's peak travel days are slated to be Dec. 21, 22, 28, 29 and Jan. 2.
"We remind all passengers to arrive two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international flights," airport spokesman Greg Meyer said in a statement. "Call your airline or check their website for the latest information."
The airport's parking lots should also be busy, especially on peak days, so travelers should allow extra time to find a space, officials said. Parking options include valet service for $21 per day, daily parking in the garages for $15, and $7.50 per day in the off-site Airport Economy Parking lot.
Airport officials are reminding travelers that the south entrance at the intersection of Griffin and Perimeter roads is closed to all traffic. A nearly 2-mile stretch of Perimeter Road also is closed from Southwest 43rd Street on the airport's west side to the roundabout on its east side.
At Palm Beach International Airport, the pace will be slower as officials are forecasting "normal" passenger traffic for the holidays. Miami International Airport will, however, be bustling on most days, with more than 100,000 expected to pass through the airport daily from Dec. 21- Jan. 6, except for Christmas Day, spokesman Marc Henderson said Wednesday.
Miami International should see "just over 2 million passengers, though short of last year's total, but still higher than 2010 when numbers were 1.8 million," Henderson added.
Copyright 2012 - Sun Sentinel
