Orlando International Airport receives decision on FAA funding

ORLANDO, Florida – Orlando International Airport, with 35 million annual passengers, is the second busiest airport in Florida and 14th busiest in the US. The airport has 18,000 badged employees and generates $26 billion in direct and indirect revenue for the regional economy.

Today, Orlando International Airport’s request for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding to construct a new intermodal transportation complex south of the current airport main terminal was approved.

“Today’s decision was a major step in our process of building an intermodal transportation hub for Central Florida,” says Phil Brown, Executive Director of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. “With this approval and the authorized funding from the state Department of Transportation, we will be able to proceed with capital improvement plans to meet expected future growth needs in the region.”

This planned facility expansion is part of a $1.1 billion capital improvement program that includes modifying and expanding existing facilities to achieve ultimate North Terminal capacity, improving international processing to accommodate growth and developing facilities to generate non-aviation related revenue. The goal is to address issues of capacity for both the near and far term at Orlando International Airport.

In an effort to provide needed capacity in the North Terminal Complex, based on current forecast of growth, the concept would provide additional parking, rental car facilities, curbside check-in amenities and an automated people mover system that would provide connections to air transit in the North Terminal. With 95 percent of MCO passengers being origin and destination, these additions will expand the capacity until a decision can be reached to build additional terminal space to the South.