Metro Orlando Airport News

[HankStrong]

Dirtaye is hot!

 

All this angst over an airport.  I feel like I just don't care enough.  I've been there about a dozen times myself and( other than it is super empty and currently a ghost town) haven't found anything unpleasant at all about it.  I would love for MCO/OIA to look like Chengi Airport in Singapore, but I don't think it is going to happen.

[jrs2]

11 hours ago, Camillo Sitte said:

The only structural impediment to Orlando doing something like Gardermoen is that Orlando/GOAA and to a lesser extent the state, have given enormous approval/veto powers for airport capital projects to the individual airlines. The Norwegian parliament didn't have to first get permission from SAS or Wideroe. 

 

Yeah, and if you recall, a few years back Delta was protesting MCO’s “need” for expansion because they didn’t want to see a rise in gate fees, etc.  GOAA then told them to pretty much f* off.  Thank God for that.

[spenser1058]

Since I believe Norway has a Democratic Socialist government, I guess we'll have to elect Bernie president so we can have fun airports - I bet aent and jack would love that idea!

[shardoon]

Orlando numbers not out yet, but Vegas took a huge jump. MCO was ahead of them for a good part of the year, but for 2019 they shattered through 51 million. I dont think MCO gets there. Thomas Cook really seems to have hurt Orlando numbers more than any other non European airport. 

[jrs2]

5 hours ago, shardoon said:

Orlando numbers not out yet, but Vegas took a huge jump. MCO was ahead of them for a good part of the year, but for 2019 they shattered through 51 million. I dont think MCO gets there. Thomas Cook really seems to have hurt Orlando numbers more than any other non European airport. 

Isn't McCarren the airport that counts executive or commercial aviation numbers in their overall numbers?  Yeah...

[aent]

23 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Since I believe Norway has a Democratic Socialist government, I guess we'll have to elect Bernie president so we can have fun airports - I bet aent and jack would love that idea!

lol, I'll point you to Denmark's Prime Ministers speech in reply to Bernie saying "we are not socialist, we are a market based economy"

Realistically with the number of airports in America its just not realistic to do that at all. In most European countries, there is only 1 or 2 major airports, its easy to make it nice when you got so few airports and facilities. Taking your example of Norway, Oslo gets 27 million passengers. The next biggest airport gets 6 million, which is still a huge jump from the rest of the airport which only get peanuts.

Plus, realistically, I don't think the budget was too low to get an interesting innovative design because it doesn't seem to be low end finishings or budget cuts... it was a desire to play it safe and probably to pick an architect who was friends with the airport board. I've complained quite loudly on here about how bad our airport board is. 

We get the same thing everywhere in Orlando: our performing arts center wasn't comparably cheap, it includes a good number of impressive and expensive engineering feats. But few would call the facility impressive and memorable because the main desire with our government in their approval process is things need to fit in with their surroundings instead of being creative.

[shardoon]

17 hours ago, jrs2 said:

Isn't McCarren the airport that counts executive or commercial aviation numbers in their overall numbers?  Yeah...

Yep. Its skewed, but we were even beating those skewed numbers prior to Thomas Cook going under. 

Changing topics a little...... anybody have an idea about lounge updates. One would think that we should start getting contracts signed. Fingers crossed for a centurion lounge in terminal C.

[dcluley98]

Satisficing

 

[spenser1058]

Sanford up 6.3% in 2019 with 3.3 million passengers for the year:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/seminole-county/os-ne-sanford-airport-growth-renovation-20200131-ku3ajbqzcvapzcp67yihvo7c7m-story.html

From the Sentinel

[jack]

On 1/31/2020 at 10:35 AM, spenser1058 said:

Since I believe Norway has a Democratic Socialist government, I guess we'll have to elect Bernie president so we can have fun airports - I bet aent and jack would love that idea!

I wish I could downvote this! 

On a serious note, most of the reporting about the Scandinavian states are that they are not as they are portrayed by comrade Sanders. High taxes (compared to us) but more free in other regards. 

[Jerry95]

On 1/30/2020 at 8:55 PM, jrs2 said:

There is a large white construction wall that will be taken down when the train terminal opens as Dcluley pointed out, but, errantly.  In that shot, it would've been to the left side out of frame.

Wanted to expand upon this:

On 1/30/2020 at 9:33 AM, dcluley98 said:

On the left: Temporary wall to house future retail.  On the right/out of shot: Temporary wall to house future Brightline/Virgin Trains. In the background: Temporary glass wall to house future connection to Terminal C.

On 1/30/2020 at 9:33 AM, dcluley98 said:

On the right: Permanent elevators. To the left and right of the photo are glass walls to connect to a future light rail service, if it were ever come to fruition. In the background glass wall that one day will connect to Terminal D. SunRail access would be via the escalators to the level below. 

[jrs2]

^^

I think I was turned around in that prior shot.

[spenser1058]

Avid opens its first Central Florida hotel near OIA. It’s part of InterContinental Hotels:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-cfb-avid-hotel-new-property-20200210-pdltnrxukjdnpabfnfleklomya-story.html

From the Sentinel 

[gibby]

A Cambria Suites is under construction on the same property and a Best Western Premier will be starting soon across the street.

[shardoon]

Final 2019 passenger count : 50,613,072

I really feel it could have been a lot higher, but Thomas Cook really took a toll on the international traffic. Once the new terminal opens up, I believe jet blue is going to do a rapid expansion and we should start seeing more passengers passengers changing planes like a true hub. 

I do not think MCO catches any of the other US airports ahead of them. Seattle and Vegas were the closest airports. Seattle is just shy of 52 million this year. We beat out Vegas as their actual commercial passenger count comes in at 50,415,477. However, when they add their general aviation and charter traffic, which passengers never even touch their passenger terminals....... the number adds another 1.1 million to it. 

[HankStrong]

44 minutes ago, shardoon said:

Final 2019 passenger count : 50,613,072

I really feel it could have been a lot higher, but Thomas Cook really took a toll on the international traffic. Once the new terminal opens up, I believe jet blue is going to do a rapid expansion and we should start seeing more passengers passengers changing planes like a true hub. 

I've heard this about two dozen times in the past couple of months from two dozen different people.  Either it's true or it's just something people want so bad that the rumors are spreading in hopes to make it true.

I hope it is true.

Edited February 11, 2020 by HankStrong

[jrs2]

1 hour ago, shardoon said:

Final 2019 passenger count : 50,613,072

I really feel it could have been a lot higher, but Thomas Cook really took a toll on the international traffic. Once the new terminal opens up, I believe jet blue is going to do a rapid expansion and we should start seeing more passengers passengers changing planes like a true hub. 

I do not think MCO catches any of the other US airports ahead of them. Seattle and Vegas were the closest airports. Seattle is just shy of 52 million this year. We beat out Vegas as their actual commercial passenger count comes in at 50,415,477. However, when they add their general aviation and charter traffic, which passengers never even touch their passenger terminals....... the number adds another 1.1 million to it. 

wow.  1.1M gen av passengers.  I wonder how many Orlando Exec has per year.  In the year ending 2017, it had 106k aircraft operations and 94% of that was gen av, according to Wiki.  So, how does that number translate to passengers, 2 per plane, 3-4 per flight?

[shardoon]

1 hour ago, jrs2 said:

wow.  1.1M gen av passengers.  I wonder how many Orlando Exec has per year.  In the year ending 2017, it had 106k aircraft operations and 94% of that was gen av, according to Wiki.  So, how does that number translate to passengers, 2 per plane, 3-4 per flight?

Just Area 51 alone, I believe they run two 737s a day round trip. Plus add the increased corporate junket traffic, it adds up quick...... you can see how easily Vegas tops another 1 million. However, these people go through the private charter terminal, dont go through TSA standard screening, never touch a passenger terminal. 

[jrs2]

18 hours ago, shardoon said:

Just Area 51 alone, I believe they run two 737s a day round trip. Plus add the increased corporate junket traffic, it adds up quick...... you can see how easily Vegas tops another 1 million. However, these people go through the private charter terminal, dont go through TSA standard screening, never touch a passenger terminal. 

Yeah, I was trying to quantify it b/c GOAA runs both airports, and I'm sure if Orlando Executive was shut down, most all of those operations would be incorporated at MCO with probably the construction of a 5th runway.

Two 737's per day in passengers does add up...

[HankStrong]

I don't know much about Orlando Executive.  Could someone tell a layperson what these 2 planes a day do?  What is being referred to as Area 51 in this context?

[jgardnerucf]

2 hours ago, HankStrong said:

2 planes a day do

go to work, come home from work. Government red stripe plane. Norad.

[shardoon]

4 hours ago, HankStrong said:

I don't know much about Orlando Executive.  Could someone tell a layperson what these 2 planes a day do?  What is being referred to as Area 51 in this context?

The workers at Area 51 live in Vegas. Every morning, highly guarded 737s take off with the workers and return in the evening. Unofficially call Janet airlines. As jgardnerucf mentioned, they are white with a red stripe.

Edited February 13, 2020 by shardoon

[HankStrong]

I was totally confused.  I thought those two 737s were flying in and out of Orlando Executive.  You meant the REAL Area 51 and Vegas.  I was lost.

I couldn't even figure out how that was possible.

[spenser1058]

Oh, Thank Heaven! 7-Eleven has a grand opening for its new “travel plaza” at OIA. What could possibly be a more Orlando way to welcome folks to town?

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-bz-7-eleven-celebrates-new-store-at-orlando-international-airport-20200213-o2yrqwfvo5cvxpernq2g4r4sfq-story.html

From the Sentinel 

[orlandoguy]

This is great news for the region’s visitors. It’s always been a bit of a head-scratcher that OIA didn’t have an on-property fueling station yet they’re commonplace at many major airports elsewhere in the US.

My business travel takes me to the same 2-3 cities and all of them have gas stations right across from the rental car returns. It’s a huge convenience!

Plus those stations on Semoran that price gouge make me so mad.