TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Tampa International Airport is experiencing several delays and flight cancellations as travelers make their rounds on Christmas Day.
Ahead of the holiday, the airport expected to see thousands of passengers and prepare for the busy travel season. However, as of Monday afternoon, five flights have been canceled, with an additional 65 delayed flights.
According to the TPA website, a total of 492 flights will take off from Tampa on Christmas Day.
Flying out of TPA? The airport urges passengers to check with their airlines for the most up-to-date flight information. For more information, visit the airport’s website here.
Despite the impacts, plenty of fliers were able to have their Christmas reunions.
“That’s the best part of flying into here,” said Danielle Burke of New Jersey. “She’s always waiting right here for me, so it’s the best part.”
‘She’ is Burke’s mom, Heidi. The two embraced in a big hug when Danielle got off the tram.
“Family, traditions,” Heidi Burke said of what Christmas was about. “Just spending time with family. The presents are nice, but it’s not that important to me. Unless I’m buying it for my kids, then it’s very important.”
With all the balloons around the airport today, the Burkes weren’t the only reunion. Possibly the funniest reunion involved a dinosaur.
“It’s like, ’tis the season, so we want to make sure that we have time together,” said Rosie Sayan. “And create memories for years to come.”
Sayan dressed up as a T-Rex for her little nephews, who were visiting for Christmas with Sayan’s brother for the first time in more than a decade.