TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – St. Petersburg resident Rob Tricarico is flying out of the country for Thanksgiving.

“A friend of ours is getting married in Colombia. So, we are going there,” Tricarico said.

He’s just one of about 80,000 travelers at Tampa International Airport taking to the skies the day before the holiday.

Connie Bergkvist is excited her loved ones arrived from Toronto.

“The biggest worry is getting here and spending time with the family,” Bergkvist said.

Her family didn’t face any issues, but the same can’t be said for some others.

FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker explained that some flights may be delayed and weather is not to blame for all of them.

“We will use Traffic Flow Management initiatives to deal with any staffing shortages,” Whitaker said.

Right now, the FAA said the air traffic controller shortage is impacting flights to and from the New York City area. TPA Spokesperson Emily Nipps said that shortage, so far, is not impacting Tampa Bay airspace.

“We haven’t really seen any impacts here in Tampa,” Nipps said. “We are aware of that issue and keeping an eye on it.”

In an email, an FAA official told 8 On Your Side it’s working to staff airport towers across the country. This year, it has met its goal of hiring more than 1,800 air traffic controllers.

There’s a plan to hire 2,000 more next year. On top of that, the federal agency just partnered with a university in Daytona Beach that specializes in aviation to help with faster training.

Investments have also been made at high schools to get students involved in aviation classes. The FAA also said most delays travelers will experience will likely be weather related.