Orlando International's Acreage Stokes Expansion Plans
It’s amazing what an airport authority can do when they have what feels like an infinite amount of acreage for expansion.
Just as Walt Disney felt hemmed in given the small footprint of Disneyland in California, the theme park founder was determined to assemble more than his 500 Anaheim acres before opening his Florida theme park to the public in 1971.
And while the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) may not have Disney’s 27,000 acres for dreaming and expanding, they do have a considerable 12,000 acres which is four times larger than the acreage at LAX (2,950 acres) and twice as much land as JFK (5,200 acres).
“I can fit LAX, JFK, and MIA in our footprint. I have room to be able to build without impacting current operations,” said GOAA CEO Kevin Thibault at an I-Drive Chamber of Commerce luncheon this month covered by WKMG Channel 6.
Orlando International's Double Digit Passenger Growth
And that additional acreage is a huge asset considering the phenomenal growth in passenger volume that Orlando International is experiencing.
“Just to give you an example of year-over-year passenger growth, between 2022 and 2023 we grew 15%. Now in planning purposes, we usually plan for 2 to 3% growth, so we basically grew five years in one year.”
"We basically grew five years in one year."
Future expansion plans at MCO include expanding the recently-opened Terminal C to be able to accommodate 60 million passengers alone and building a brand new Terminal D to accommodate another 60 million passengers.
Terminal D is scheduled to commence construction when annual passenger volume reaches 70 million. That milestone is not far away considering that MCO is forecast to receive 60 million passengers this year.
Add to that the 25 million passengers that can be handled in original Terminals A&B, and the strategic plan envisions a time when Orlando International will be able to welcome close to 150 million passengers annually.
Orlando International Airport's Growing List of Superlatives
In addition to highlighting the airport’s acreage and passenger growth, Thibault’s PowerPoint featured a long list of superlatives under MCO’s slogan, “Your Florida Airport of Choice.”
- The busiest airport in Florida
- The 4th largest U.S. airport by landmass
- The world’s largest rental car market
- 1st airport in the U.S. with High-Speed Rail Service
- Future connection to Sunrail service
- Access to major Florida highways (528 & 417)
The fourth bullet point, high-speed rail service, was accomplished last fall when the first Brightline train arrived in Orlando on September 22, 2023.
Brightline now runs a dozen daily southbound departures from MCO covering the 235-mile stretch down Florida’s East Coast to stations in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
By far the messiest or most problematic bullet point on the list of superlatives is Orlando International’s status as “the world’s largest rental car market.” Currently that arrangement is quite chaotic with many of those vehicles occupying coveted passenger space in the Terminal A and B parking garages.
The airport authority plans to solve that problem in much the same manner that Miami International did with the construction of the Miami Intermodal Center, a $2 billion, stand-alone parking garage for rental cars and other forms of ground transportation including Metrorail and Tri Rail.
Orlando International's Planned Vertiport for eVOTL Aircraft
Finally, Orlando International’s expansion plans go beyond building new facilities to accommodate more commercial airline passengers and rental cars.
GOAA is already laying the groundwork for being able to make Orlando International a hub for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVOTL) aircraft. Those plans are being developed in conjunction with a leading German manufacturer of eVOTL aircraft.
The GOAA presentation featured a slide titled “Advanced Air Mobility” which highlights the range of eVOTL aircraft (20 to 300 miles), the typical capacity (1 to 6 passengers) and the environmental benefits (cleaner and quieter than aircraft with internal combustion engines).
The second half of the Channel 6 segment on MCO’s expansion features a sit-down interview with Matthew Broffman, Head of Partnership & Public Affairs for Munich-based Lilium.
Just last month, Lilium announced plans to designate the future Vertiport at Orlando International as a key RAM network hub for Lilium Jet operations.
“The airport city of MCO and Lake Nona will be a pivotal hub for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) operations in Florida.
Situated in the center of the Sunshine State, the network is strategically placed to cater to the nearly 80 million annual visitors that the region attracts. The airport city is expected to become a true multimodal hub for all forms of transportation,” according to the Lilium press release.
“We are thrilled about the proposed advanced aviation center at Orlando International Airport and commend Orlando for its dedication and vision to advancing AAM,” said Sebastien Borel, Chief Commercial Officer at Lilium.
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