Orlando International airport has opened its long-awaited Terminal C, almost five years after construction began on the $2.8 billion project.
The 300-acre has a total of 15 gates accommodating up to 20 aircraft, increasing the airport’s capacity by between ten and 12 million passengers annually.
Features include more than 1,000 directional and flight information video display screens, 33 retail and F&B outlets, automated TSA screening lanes, facial recognition for arriving and departing international passengers, and a “bags first” international arrival area.
The facility also claims to be “the first fully integrated, multimodal airport terminal in the US for rail, air and ground transportation”.
Aer Lingus flight EI35 from Manchester was the first to arrive at Terminal C on September 20, with GOL, British Airways, Emirates, Lufthansa, Azul, Norse Atlantic Airways and Icelandair also already having moved into the terminal.
Jetblue is set to follow as anchor airline on September 27.
Commenting on the news Kevin Thibault, chief executive officer of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, said:
“This day has been a long time coming but we’re finally here. Terminal C is open and what a benefit it is to the community.
“This state-of-the-art terminal is leading the way to a truly intermodal future for all of Central Florida, where passengers will be able to take a plane, a train or an automobile from one location. Today, the vision has become reality.”
