First look inside Orlando International Airport's new Terminal C

OIA's new Terminal C nearly ready to open doors

Orlando International Airport's (MCO) new Terminal C facility is set to open on Sept. 20. This 200,000-square feet terminal has new visual communication through massive video walls connected to digital displays.

ORLANDO, Fla. - They are calling it the "terminal of the future" as it will make your travel experience as smooth as possible.

Orlando International Airport's (MCO) new terminal – Terminal C – is expected to open on Sept. 20, 2022, and will be home to nearly a dozen airlines, including JetBlue, Caribbean Airlines, Emirates, and IcelandAir, and coffee shops, restaurants, and stores.

"Dynamic, imaginative, iconic, and unprecedented," said Kevin Thibault, CEO of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority.

This 200,000-square-foot terminal will feature 15 gates for domestic and international flights, and all will use facial recognition technology to help with easier and more secure boarding. It will also connect to Brightline's train service, which is expected to start in 2023.

Journalists and reporters were given an inside look at the terminal on Tuesday.

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A first look inside Orlando International Airport's Terminal C -- the newest terminal at the airport -- which is expected to open on Sept. 19, 2022.

The $4.12 billion project also features large video walls that show stunning visualizations.

Restaurants that will be inside the gate include Sunshine Diner by Chef Art Smith, Shake Shack, PGA Tour Grill, Wine Bar George, Barnies Coffee & Tea Co., Orange County Brewers and Cask & Larder.

TSA said security will also be quicker. Up to six people will be able to use the automated belts to send their bags through security, and can serve up to 250 people can hour (TSA said Terminals A & B can process 150 an hour).

"The standard lanes can handle 150 passengers an hour. These types of lanes can handle 180 to 250 people an hour," said TSA Spokesperson Sari Koshetz.
Once through security, Terminal C no longer feels like an airport at all as you enter the Palm Court designed to take the stress out of travel. It features shops and restaurants as well as wireless charging and facial recognition at their 15 gates. At the center of it all is the, colorful and enormous, "Moment Vault".

All the luggage will be placed in yellow sorting bins which are chipped and tracked all the way along the conveyor belt. Officials say once your bag hits the line it should be at its destination in five minutes.

"We don’t have to worry about the bag anymore until it comes out of the tote which we control so we always know where it is," said Assistant Director of Airport Operations Scott Goodwin.

Terminal C will be home to nearly a dozen airlines for international and domestic flights and serve over 60 million passengers a year. The terminal will also increase the size of OIA by 25% but airport officials don’t believe this will improve flight delays or cancellations.

Last year, the airport saw 41 million passengers making it the 17th busiest airport in the world, according to Airports Council International. The new terminal will be able to handle 10 to 12 million additional passengers a year, according to the airport.