MIA ready to ring in the new year with record crowds

03.01.2024 - 09:18 / traveldailynews.com / Theodore Koumelis / Daniella Levine Cava

MIA officials expect more peak days this weekend and next week, as travelers make their way to and from Miami-Dade County and destinations across the region for New Year’s Day and Three Kings Day celebrations.

Miami International Airport (MIA) has been serving a historic number of travelers since its winter travel season began, and more records may be broken as the New Year’s Day and Three Kings Day holidays quickly approach.

MIA set a new single-day record of 194,866 passengers on December 23, and six other days since December 16 have been among MIA’s 10 busiest ever, all of them surpassing 167,000 travelers. MIA has averaged 170,000 daily passengers since its winter travel period officially began on December 21, which is 11% higher than last year’s record season and far above the 162,000 per day average that the airport projected.

“These record-breaking numbers prove once again how important MIA is to our tourism industry and our local economy, where one out of every four jobs is directly or indirectly supported by our airport. I am also proud to see MIA continue to provide the high level of customer service that made it one of the best airports in North America this year, according to the J.D. Power 2023 Airport Satisfaction Study.” says Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

 At 51.3 million passengers so far this year through December 26, MIA is poised to reach a new annual passenger record of 52 million travelers on December 31, which would be an increase of 2.5% over last year.

Even with the record-breaking numbers, MIA’s parking garages have remained open, and spaces are still available. Out of the airport’s 616 elevators, escalators, and moving walkways, only 52 are currently out of service for repair or replacement, as part of the airport’s Modernization in Action (M.I.A.) Plan.   

While the Concourse D Skytrain remains out of service, a  courtesy trolley service  is available from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. at one of the 10 courtesy shuttle pick-up stations located throughout Concourse D. An  airside shuttle bus  is also available from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., with stops at gates D10 and D55. Passengers who require wheelchair assistance should  contact their airline  in advance before their flight.

Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.