Tampa International Airport preparing for possibly busiest Thanksgiving travel on record

TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa International Airport is highlighting its travel recommendations ahead of Thanksgiving as it prepares for possibly historic levels of travel.

With 80,000 travelers per day expected for ten days starting Thursday, November 16, airport officials say the best way to take a load off is to get to the airport two hours before a domestic flight and three before an international one. 

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"We're expecting perhaps the busiest Thanksgiving period on record for the airport," said airport vice president Adam Bouchard.

They want you to book parking in advance too. For information on parking at the airport, click here.  

TPA officials hope planning ahead will help passengers avoid last-minute headaches, which can lead to incidents like these. 

They released bodycam video of their officers responding to several dozen unruly passengers over the last year. With more than 20 million passing through last year, the incidents are isolated but still avoidable.

"It's always best to just be kind, but give yourself margin," said Bouchard. "We can't stress that enough. A little bit of extra time will go a long way to de-stress your experience as you travel this Thanksgiving."

AAA expects 3 million Floridians to travel more than fifty miles away this year. 90 percent will travel by car, but about 210,000 are expected to fly.

READ: Three million Floridians expected to travel for Thanksgiving: AAA 

The airport plans to open extra areas for rideshare users to find their rides. 

There are two more things to watch out for. One is the weather, especially if you're going to a cold-weather city. Two is a government shutdown.

However, airport officials don't expect a pending government shutdown to impact airport operations, because many security employees are deemed essential for safety.