Orlando airport set to approve new $1.8 billion terminal

[thelakelander]

The leaders of Orlando International Airport are moving forward with construction of a $1.8 billion southern terminal, despite the objection of two large airlines.

Airport Chairman Frank Kruppenbacher said Monday the airport is growing at an accelerated clip and with more international carriers coming on board – including Emirates – Orlando International could be overrun with passengers if it does not expand soon.

"We really think it is prudent to start the design earlier so we can go when we need to go," Kruppenbacher said.

The board is expected during a Wednesday meeting to instruct its chief architectural consultant SchenkelShultz to assemble a team to start working on the terminal concept, as well as reduce the so-called trigger point of when to start construction from 40 million passengers to 38.5 million.

The southern terminal would be built about a mile south of the existing one and serve domestic and foreign visitors, the fastest-growing segment of the airport's business.


Right now, the airport is handling more than 36.4 million passengers, just short of the record of 36.5 million set in 2007. Roughly 4.4 million of the visitors are from out of the country.

If current growth continues, airport director Phil Brown said, Orlando International could hit 38.5 million passengers next year. The new terminal, with 16 gates, could open as early as 2019.

Southwest Airlines and Delta Airlines, the airport's two busiest carriers, oppose the expansion, which has been discussed by the board for several years. The two airlines argue a second terminal is too expensive and unnecessary.

Full article: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-orlando-airport-southern-terminal-20150518-story.html

[tufsu1]

Those same airlines are also opposed to the OIA multimodal terminal.  They feel as if the public is giving All Aboard Florida a freebie, thereby tilting the competition scales.

[Lunican]

$112 million per gate!!

[thelakelander]

Yeah, that's pretty crazy.

[spuwho]

Emirates would  be a great add to OIA.  However they use A380's for most of their international routes. Gate servicing for the A380 is not trivial, nor is ramp design due to wingspan.

Southwest has been making noise at OIA since they bought out Airtran. They dont like the gate rents when I talked to a legacy Airtran manager.

Unfortunately the center of the air travel profits is not in the US anymore. Its actually in Dubai.

Emirates CEO has been pushing Airbus around on aircraft design for several years.

[mtraininjax]

Emerates flies from Milan, Italy to JFK. It would be nice to catch the flight to Orlando instead of New York.

[simms3]

All of the Mideast airlines are reportedly phenomenal, and many of them are in expansion mode (I know here on the W Coast both Turkish and Etihad just expanded service and threw some big parties...they each fly the longest non-stop routes, just about, from LA/SF/Seattle to UAE).

Emirates flies to the most destinations in the US according to Wiki: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, LA, NYC, Orlando (beg. Sep), SF, Seattle, DC

Etihad: Chicago, Dallas, LA, NYC, SF, DC

Turkish: Boston, Chicago, Houston, LA, Miami (resumes Oct), NYC, SF, DC

Egyptair: LA, NYC

El Al: Boston (begins June), LA, NYC (apparently once flew to Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Miami, SF)


$1.8Bn for a new international terminal and other improvements is not outrageous.  It's about what other recent hub-airport expansions have cost (Atlanta's newest international terminal cost $1.4Bn for 12 gates in the last decade).

With all of the other Disney and Universal parks around the world now, I wonder what the demand is, frankly, for that level of increased international service in Orlando.  When you look at international traffic, Orlando is down in sort of that 4th or 5th tier:

http://www.dot.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/US%20International%20Air%20Passenger%20and%20Freight%20Statistics%20Report%20for%20June%202014_3.pdf

NYC, then MIA and LAX are just on another level of international traffic.

Then Chicago, SF, ATL and Houston are all pretty similar in passenger traffic.

Then DC and Dallas.

THEN you have Honolulu, Boston, and Fort Lauderdale, each with slightly more international passenger traffic than Orlando, then Philly, Seattle, Detroit, Charlotte, Las Vegas, etc

[Ocklawaha]

They better watch Southwest and Frontier, both of which are known for doing things like vacating the place for Herndon (Orlando Executive Airport) or Sanford! Now THAT would be funny.

The North-South terminal idea is basically the same thing that LAX is shifting to. If you'd never been there Los Angeles had the worlds biggest horseshoe driveway with parking and the tower sitting right in the middle of it. This all was entered and exited from the east toward downtown. Yet many of the planes took off and landed right over the west approach along Pacific Coast Highway. You just couldn't get to PCH from LAX! So they too are talking about going the double terminal route, adding a west or PCH terminal. The new Light Rail line and Subway might effect the final outcome.

"Just remember, the red zones are for passenger loading and unloading only, there is no parking in the white zones..."

[Adam White]

That seems like a lot of money, but if it means more direct flights to Orlando, then I'm all for it.

Also, in my experience it's almost always a nightmare going through immigration (on the way in) and security (on the way out) at OAI. I'd assume this will help?

[Ocklawaha]

Never even been delayed by immigration at OIA or MIA, MDE or BGT either! Must be my cute cherub face!

[Adam White]

It may be!

The issue has always been (for me at least) the large volume of passengers. It seems we have to wait in a really long line to get into security on the way out - maybe it's the time of year we tend to travel (May, usually). Similar thing on the way in - lots and lots of people arriving a the same time and a really long line to get through immigration. The bright side is that having a US passport means I get the shorter line.

[Ocklawaha]

I did get into trouble in Barranquilla Colombia once, but it was with the officials. I am an absolute sucker for pouty mouthed, baby faced, olive complected, Spanish women. We are walking down the jetway and I notice that the Colombian National Police (FBI) has a full body shakedown going on every single passenger. Two of the most beautiful young women I have ever seen in my life escorted me behind the screen and did the pat down!! I came out and asked if I could go through the line again! Wife didn't speak to me for a week!