The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says that the West security checkpoint for gates 1-59 at Orlando International Airport (MCO) is the busiest in the nation and things are about to get a lot busier this Thanksgiving holiday travel season.
Overall traffic at Florida’s busiest airport is expected to increase by 6 percent with more than 1.75 million travelers moving through MCO during the 12-day travel period. The most heavily traveled day will take place on Saturday, November 30th with nearly 170 thousand passengers in the terminal.
“In anticipation of this historically busy holiday travel season, Orlando International has been upgrading the nation’s busiest TSA checkpoint,” says Phil Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. “We have remodeled the West Checkpoint, maximized the use of space and added more lanes for TSA agents to process more passengers.”
Travelers at MCO will also notice an increased focus on enhancing the overall travel experience. From clearer, more innovative wayfinding to entertainment throughout the terminal and the new “MCO Paw Pilots” program, it is all incorporated with the customer in mind to help reduce holiday travel related stress.
Busiest 2019 Thanksgiving Holiday Travel Days at MCO:
| 1 | Saturday, Nov 30th | 169,890 | 7 | Wednesday, Nov 27th | 150,403 |
| 2 | Sunday, Dec 1st | 163,030 | 8 | Tuesday, Nov 26th | 143,140 |
| 3 | Saturday, Nov 23rd | 161,167 | 9 | Monday, Nov 25th | 140,145 |
| 4 | Friday, Nov 22nd | 155,824 | 10 | Friday, Nov 29th | 131,709 |
| 5 | Sunday, Nov 24th | 154,270 | 11 | Tuesday, Dec 3rd | 131,446 |
| 6 | Monday, Dec 2nd | 152,025 | 12 | Thursday, Nov 28th | 100,314 |
Basic MCO Information: With nearly 50 million annual passengers, Orlando International Airport (MCO) is the busiest airport in Florida and 10th busiest in the U.S. MCO is currently engaged in a $4.2 billion Capital Improvement Program to increase capacity and enhance customer convenience.
