Tampa Airports Expect 300,000 Travelers During Memorial Day Rush

From Friday through Monday, a wave of 300,000 flyers will stream through Tampa International Airport's gates. The rush marks the start of summer flights.

"Probably about an average of 70-75,000 passengers a day. On peak days, we'll [have] more than 80,000, 85,000 passengers," said TPA spokeswoman Emily Nipps to Fox 13 News.

Plans call for six million summer flyers, matching last year's count. New flights to other countries boost the airport's reach as more seats open up.

St. Pete-Clearwater's airport saw big gains this spring. "The tourism has really improved. We've seen record growth: even for March we were up 16%," said St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport's Executive Director Thomas Jewsbury.

TPA's first six months showed fewer flyers than expected. Storms and Easter's timing shifted spring break plans, causing the drop.

The control tower runs at full strength for summer. Yet problems at other big airports might still cause late flights in Tampa.

Rules about fees led some Canadian airlines to cut back flights. Staff watch these changes closely, but numbers stay steady for now.

The airport warns about busy times, mostly 6 to 7, both morning and night. Work on shuttles means some spots have less service than usual.

Rush hours need more time to get through. Get to the airport early and look up the rules before flying.