Our neighbor to the north has a most impressive airport.
If you fly on a commercial flight, then you leave Osceola County and travel north to Orlando International Airport. Thanks to a thriving tourism economy that Osceola benefits from, “OIA” (or if you’re in the aviation industry, “MCO”) is already one of the busiest airports in the world.
Because it will get bigger this year, it will get just a bit less busy.
Last week, airport officials unveiled its $2.8 billion Terminal C, which will open for traffic — if you’re flying internationally you will very likely get to experience it — later this month. Tuesday, Sept. 20 is the target date.
The Terminal C project started in 2017, but the COVID-19 pandemic paused progress for a bit as airport traffic returned to pre-COVID levels.
Over 300 acres, Terminal C adds 15 gates. The passenger areas feature 100% automated screening lanes at the TSA checkpoints and facial recognition for arriving and departing international passengers, a concession hub and immersive multimedia screens that will provide high-definition visual entertainment — essentially, the walls will talk.
Another part of the technology-rich terminal is a state-of-the-art Baggage Handling System, much like one used at Germany’s Düsseldorf Airport.
A six-mile long track sends luggage to the tarmac and out to planes. It’s tracked throughout the trip using radio frequency (RFID) chips to cut down on bags getting lost. From there, Terminal C features virtual ramp control for airline ground operations. Baggage claim will also be located on the same level as the gates — and have or-to-ceiling windows for natural ambient light.
And if you’re taking another mode of transport after your flight arrives, the new terminal has fully integrated, multimodal options for rail — the BrightLine train connecting to South Florida has a hub, and a SunRail connection may be next — and ground transportation.
“We strive to use cutting-edge technology and best practices in everything we do,” Greater Orlando Aviation Authority CEO Kevin Thibault said at last week’s media unveiling. “Above all else, we seek to recognize the many diverse types of passengers who use our airport.”
Burns Engineering project manager Greg Spence led a team of a dozen engineers and eight sub-consultants.
“ Terminal C’s technology amenities put passengers in control of their airport journey. Features that enhance the passenger experience include common use technologies, enhancements like automated Airport Screening Lanes, and mind-blowing immersive multimedia entertainment,” Spence says. “We anticipate passengers will particularly appreciate the convenience of the biometric facial and iris recognition gates that simplify the boarding process.”
Terminal C is expected to siphon about 10,000 of the average of 60,000 daily passengers from the older, existing Terminals A and B.
The new terminal is adjacent to Jeff Fuqua Boulevard, the southern access road to the airport, used by most people coming from Osceola County to get to their flight, airport job or the passengers they’re picking up. If it looks massive, it’s because it is — there were an average of more than 1,000 workers on site daily throughout construction of the terminal that required nearly four million cubic yards of dirt to be moved and more than 61,000 tons of steel put in place.
