Orlando International Airport preparing for busy Labor Day weekend

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orlando International Airport is bracing for big crowds over the Labor Day travel weekend. The airport is expecting to exceed pre-pandemic traffic numbers.

Airport officials expect more than 300,000 people to come through the airport this holiday travel period. That's even more than before the pandemic. The 6-day travel period runs from Wednesday through next Tuesday.

Officials expect this year's travel to beat 2019's numbers by 7-percent, but public health leaders warn that it's still important to play it safe.

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Meanwhile, a 4th wave of COVID cases is continuing to intensify. Florida, along with Alabama, Georgia, Texas, and Arkansas have less than 10-percent of their ICU bed capacity left.

The CDC is urging those who aren't vaccinated not to travel. It’s not clear yet if the CDC’s new advisory will have any effect on travel to and from Orlando.

The busiest travel day of this holiday period is Saturday when they expect more than 53,000 people to pass through the airport.