ORLANDO, Fla. – Holiday travel is peaking at Orlando International Airport as thousands of passengers head home from New Year’s vacations or begin trips to kick off 2026.
Airport officials say this weekend marks one of the busiest travel periods on record at MCO, with Saturday expected to be the single busiest day.
Among those navigating the crowds was Evangeline Howard, traveling back to Washington, D.C., with her family after a Disney vacation. She said arriving early was key as lines quickly grew throughout the terminal.
“We’re looking forward to traveling back home. But the problem is, there is a lot of people here and they do a good job of moving that through. But we’re really glad we got here early,” Howard said.
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Howard said the crowds were noticeable almost immediately.
“Out front were, like, noticeably larger than usual and we had to use the curbside check in because when we came into the baggage checking area, it was already totally packed and it’s early in the morning,” she said.
Other travelers said they expected the holiday rush and planned accordingly.
Len Bebee, traveling with a group of 10 people, said he anticipated heavy crowds heading into the weekend.
“I knew coming in this was probably top-three busiest days for MCO, so we kind of had an idea. Thankfully, we’re coming in and not going out because I’m sure TSA is going to be a mess today,” Bebee said.
According to airport officials, passenger numbers are climbing into record territory.
Friday saw 191,000 travelers pass through MCO. Saturday is expected to be the busiest day with 196,000 passengers, followed by 195,000 on Sunday. Monday is projected to be slightly lower at 185,000 passengers.
In total, officials say more than 1.3 million passengers are expected to travel through the airport over an 18-day holiday period — a new record for MCO.
The surge in travelers comes as construction on the airport’s GateLink systems remains ongoing, resulting in limited trams transporting passengers between terminals. Despite the construction, airport officials said tram service appeared to be running smoothly and on schedule.
With crowds this heavy, airport officials continue urging travelers to check their flight status before arriving, allow extra time at the airport, and prepare for long security lines.
Passengers are also encouraged to pay close attention to departure boards. Flights marked in red indicate cancellations, and travelers affected by canceled flights can find information about airline compensation and passenger protections through the airline’s bill of rights.
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