LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Parking lots at Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) are nearing full capacity as thousands of travelers fly out for the holidays. Airport officials are now urging travelers to carpool or arrange rides to the airport, citing limited availability and potential delays.
Long-term parking was at 95% capacity, while 85% of short-term spaces were occupied on Monday afternoon, according to RSW officials. The airport's remote parking lot remains an option, but officials recommend planning ahead to secure a spot.
“It’s busy, but everything is well-marked out here,” said one traveler, who noted the airport’s organization amid the holiday rush.
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Others expressed challenges navigating the crowded spaces. “I’ve never seen it this busy," another traveler shared. "Southwest Florida Airport is usually fantastic, but it’s just overwhelming right now,” her partner added.
Beyond parking concerns, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is alerting travelers to potential delays caused by a known issue with a batch of Florida-issued IDs.
TSA Regional Spokesperson Mark Howell confirmed the IDs are valid but may require additional verification at security checkpoints.
“We've gotten reports at certain airports in Florida that we’ve had issues with some of the IDs,” Howell said. “We’ve worked with some of the partners in the Florida licensing offices to identify that issue, and they’re working to get new licenses for those folks that identify there’s an issue with their license," he explained.
Howell emphasized that travelers can still use any valid state issued IDs at their checkpoints.
“If you have a license that is not working when you go to the security checkpoint and you’re using one of the credentialed authenticators, you can still use that license. Present it to the officer that’s there. They may just ask you for your boarding pass to verify your details because it’s not reading on the machine,” Howell said.
AAA predicts record travel numbers this holiday season, with over 119 million Americans expected to hit the roads and skies.
