Invest: spoke with Kevin Thibault, CEO of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, to discuss Orlando International Airport’s extraordinary growth while renovating terminals and partnering in the region to create seamless mobility for residents and visitors. “Our goals and objectives are structured around four priorities: people, connection, community, and innovation,” he said.
What have been your key takeaways or achievements over the past two years?
Our biggest achievement was opening Terminal C in 2022, which resulted from a community effort. It’s a multimodal hub for the entire region to handle the influx of growth in the region. We also updated our strategic plan, which was adopted in September 2023. This articulates our mission, vision, and values over the next 10 years with a focus on key objectives and deliverables. The board has also approved the renovation of Terminals A and B, and we are very excited to begin work on that project.
We also have a focus on connectivity. MCO has more nonstop domestic connections than any other airport in Florida. Plus, we’ve added BermudAir, along with Iberojet, which offers nonstop seasonal service to Madrid. We are having more conversations with carriers that want to fly in and out of Orlando because they’re seeing the growth in the region.
What are the significant opportunities for the region today?
It’s all about connectivity, especially in Central Florida, given our tremendous population growth, with over 13 million people within a two-hour driving radius. Coupling that with our strong presence as a destination, that connectivity is key. The region realized enhanced transportation options with Brightline, along with other service enhancements, to meet the demand this growth entails. That connectivity from Central to South Florida is huge because it gives people, whether they are visitors or residents, another mobility option. The connection of these gateways opens a lot of opportunities for the region.
What are you most excited about regarding the ongoing Terminal C renovations?
Phase II will focus on expansion by adding up to 24 gates and will allow us to redirect a greater portion of passengers coming through the North Terminal complex into the new Terminal C, where we will also move all of our international carriers. That will free up an opportunity to reevaluate some of the older parts of Terminals A and B, so the renovation is a real multipurpose project that will embrace innovative technology and customer experiences. Being on the cutting edge of advancing technology at the airport will be vital to this next phase of construction.
What are your goals for 2024 and beyond?
Implementing our strategic plan is front and center. Our goals and objectives are structured around four priorities: people, connection, community, and innovation. We want to seamlessly connect Florida to the rest of the world. For example, we have the largest rental car market in the country, so we are thinking about a consolidated, centralized location for all of those services to convene. That can free up parking and open up traffic flow. It is just one instance of what we’re studying right now for our strategic plan. Long term, we need to stay ahead of the growth and be a good partner across the greater region.
What are the key challenges that your strategic plan hopes to address?
Parking is an issue across the board for our aviation industry partners. Our operational analysis considers something like the location of a new parking garage and how we can get people from there and to the terminals. A lot of airports are looking at repurposing their property and maximizing their real estate. We’re also leveraging technology, including a reservation system that can book parking spaces in our garage up to a year in advance. By bringing in a vendor to put in a parking guidance system, our passengers will know what parking garages are open, and it will be easier for them to get to and from the garage. Rideshare companies and taxis have separate parking lots at the airport and have, in fact, been able to expand their space, including Wi-Fi coverage. Future enhancements will reduce congestion, and the expanded area will give passengers more options. It goes back to our core goal of seamlessly connecting people.
What have been some of your top milestones from the past year?
We finished 2023 at an all-time high with 57.7 million passengers coming through Orlando International, which was a 15% increase year over year. It’s a positive trend that shows how resilient the community is, especially after the pandemic. We are trending to finish 2024 up to 10% higher, which is evidence of our international and domestic flights being back to full strength. We also expect a 10% increase in passengers, which is a strong indicator of our growth. For a frame of reference, airports typically plan for 2% or 3% growth year over year. To get 15%, we essentially had five years of growth in only one year, which is a very exciting trend for the airport and region.
What is your outlook for the next five years?
By the end of the decade, and at the growth rate we’re seeing, we will be at 70 million passengers. That makes it even more important that we implement our Phase II improvements and stay on track with our strategic plan. We’re a huge economic driver to the region, providing nearly $42 billion in annual economic benefit, which is just as much as a major theme park. If we’re providing that, we must also be engaged with the community so we can be in lockstep with a local vision for growth.
