Orlando International Airport expanding: What this means for you
ORLANDO, Fla. - If you’ve been to the Orlando International Airport (OIA), you are familiar with the crowds.
In fact, according to TSA, OIA is home to the busiest security checkpoint in the entire country. The success of the airport is good news for the economy but not so much for travelers.
“I find it terrible here,” said Barbara Christophe, meeting relative at OIA.
OIA is on track to exceed 50 million passengers in a single year, for the first time ever, making it the busiest airport in Florida.
“There’s too many people and the line-ups are really long,” said Christophe.
The large crowds are taxing on travelers.
“When you’re traveling, if you’re going on vacation especially, you want to make sure it’s a good time and not overwhelming and stressful,” said Carmela Ranno, traveler.
“These days travel is pretty stressful, so our focus is trying to manage those things, it becomes much more difficult when you have a crowded situation,” said Phil Brown, Chief Executive Officer, Greater Orlando Aviation Authority.
Airport CEO, Phil Brown, sitting down with The News Station, to explain he is well aware of the growing pains.
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“We need more parking, we need more access into the airport, we need larger check points,” said Brown.
The airport is building a solution: A more than $2 billion futuristic terminal. Terminal C, under construction south of the current airport, will add the possibility of 27 gates. But more importantly, it will ease the crowding.
“That means that the complex, up here, will be able to have a little bit of relief, you won’t be as crowded and you’ll be able to shift some of it down south,” said Brown.
“It will obviously thin out the crowd, you know,” said Bernie Christophe, meeting relative at OIA.
About 20 percent of travelers will fly into and out of the new terminal. It will also, disperse traffic at the airport, with its own drop-off and pick-up curbs.
“We’re pushing because we just don’t have enough space for the kind of growth that we’ve seen,” said Brown.
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The expansion is expected to accommodate some growth but further expansion is anticipated sooner than later.
“We will continue to grow, the plans that we have, we’re able to build out down south ultimately another 120 gates, so that should take us well into the 21st century, in terms of demand,” said Brown.
The airport is also crowded for the airlines, having to share gates at times and revolving schedules around gate availability. The new terminal is expected to open in 2021.