Travelers experience post-Christmas delays at Tampa International Airport

Busy travel day at TPA

Multiple people at Tampa International Airport were experiencing delays both in and out of the airport. FOX 13's Danielle Zulkosky reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - The holiday season is the busiest time of year according to the TSA, with the agency expecting Sunday to be the busiest by passenger volume at an estimated 2.86 million people.

The backstory:

There were delays both in and out of Tampa International Airport as passengers left the Sunshine State for home or returned from their holiday trip.

"I feel like everything flowed pretty smoothly once we got up in the air," Akwi Njoh, of Tampa, said. "I didn't see anything that was crazy or anything other than the logistics part."

Reasons Why:

Njoh said her flight from Houston to Tampa was delayed because of staffing.

"Houston Airport just seemed like had to do with the airline having not enough staffing there for the pilots, and so they announced that over the intercom before the airline, before the flight," Njoh said.

One dad-and-daughter said their airline did not say why their flight to Colorado was delayed.

"I don't really know what the holdup was," Steve Miller, of Colorado, said. "You know, I've assumed just because it's so close to the holidays."

Many said this is to be expected when you fly at this time of year.

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"We headed to the airport earlier than usual just knowing that it was going to be a little bit traffic-filled," Njoh said. "So definitely something that I was expecting."

How This Affects Non-Flyers:

These delays are affecting drivers who are now delayed waiting for the issue to be resolved.

READ MORE: TPA preparing for busy post-Christmas rush 

"Not happy. My daughter is picking me up. I'm sorry," Doug Strandness, of St. Paul, MN, said. "She's gonna be even later into the dark and cold." 

What they're saying:

"I'm kind of like ready to just wait and see that they get off and are in the air safely, and then I'll feel okay leaving," Ashley Chandler, of Punta Gorda, said.

Chandler had to drive back to Punta Gorda. She said she needs to make sure her family gets on their way, so she does not have to turn back around.

"I have about a two-hour drive back home, so I definitely don't want to leave them here like stuck, so it's an inconvenience, but kind of not, because I get to spend more time with my girl before she leaves," Chandler said.

Flight numbers are only expected to reduce slightly between now and New Year’s, according to historic data from FlightAware.