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Tampa Airport Stays Super Busy On Day After Game

Tribune photo by ERIC HAUSMANN

Sleepy travelers catch a quick nap at Tampa International Airport before boarding their flights this morning.

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By CHIP OSOWSKI | News Channel 8

Published: February 2, 2009

Updated: 02/02/2009 12:44 pm

TAMPA - More than 32,000 people are expected to fly out of Tampa International Airport on 220 commercial flights today, making it one of the busiest travel days of the year.

On the morning after Super Bowl XLIII, some fans headed straight from the game to the airport. They were easy to spot at 6 a.m. They were the ones asleep in chairs or on the floor.

Extra security personnel manned the metal detectors and checked luggage. Several airlines added extra flights out of Tampa today to handle departing football fans.

About 250 corporate jets left Tampa International Sunday night and Monday, said spokeswoman Brenda Geoghagan.

Car rental companies are preparing for a busy day, too. They anticipate about 6,000 rental cars will be returned today and another 4,000 tomorrow. That's double the usual number of returns, airport executive director Louis Miller said..

Not everybody is leaving by plane. About 200 charter buses are leaving the Tampa area today, Miller said.

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