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MCO redirects here. For the book, see Modern Chess Openings.

Orlando International Airport is an airport located in Orlando, Florida. It is the busiest airport in Florida, owing to Orlando's popularity as a tourist destination and its enormous residential and commercial growth. The airport serves as a mini-hub for Delta Connection carriers Chautauqua Airlines and Freedom Airlines (all part of the Delta Connection)and a focus city for AirTran Airways and Delta Air Lines. In 2005 it was visited by 34.1 million passengers, making it the 12th busiest airport in the United States and the 21st-busiest in the World. It is the nation's 15th busiest international gateway, behind Philadelphia International Airport; JFK International in New York City ranks first.* Floridians joke that the airport code MCO stands for "Mickey's Corporate Office", as Orlando is the location of Disney and Disney World; it actually stands for its former name - McCoy an Air Force pilot who crashed in the area. The Miami airspace however, is still larger as it includes the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Miami International Airport, and Palm Beach International Airport.

History

Before 1974, the land the airport now sits on was largely owned by the United States Air Force who operated an airbase there. The base was known as McCoy Air Force Base and the civilian airport was known as the Orlando Jetport at McCoy. Commercial service to the Jetport began in 1962 as flights were migrated from the old Herndon Airport, now the Orlando Executive Airport. The airport was under control of the city of Orlando for just one year, and in 1975 the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) was founded. Their mission was to manage and build the Orlando International Airport and the Orlando Executive Airport. The airport gained its current name and international airport status a year later in 1976, but kept its old IATA airport code MCO and ICAO airport code KMCO.

In 1978, MCO handled 5 million passengers. By 2000, that number had soared to 30 million. Today, MCO covers 23 square miles (60 km²), and is the third-largest airport in the United States by area (after Denver and Dallas). MCO also has North America's second tallest control tower.

Eastern Air Lines used Orlando as a hub during the 1970s and early 1980s, and became "the official airline of Walt Disney World." Following Eastern's demise, Delta Air Lines assumed this role, although it later pulled most of its large aircraft (With the exception on flights to and from Atlanta) operations from Orlando and focused its service there on regional jet flights specifically with ComAir, Freedom Airlines, and Chautauqua Airlines all part of the Delta Connection.

In 2004, Hurricane Charley caused some damage to the airport when it struck on the evening of August 13.

On February 22, 2005, MCO became the first airport in Florida to accept E-Pass and SunPass toll transponders as a form of payment for parking. The system allows drivers to enter and exit a parking garage without pulling a ticket or stopping to pay the parking fee. The two toll roads that serve the airport, SR 528 and SR 417, use these systems for automatic toll collection.

Structure and function

Orlando International Airport has a single main terminal building, connected by people mover to four airside terminals. There are passenger check-in and baggage claim facilities on the main terminal building's north side (referred to as Terminal A), and on the building's south side (referred to as Terminal B). Airsides 1 and 2 use baggage claim "A", while airsides 3 and 4 use baggage claim "B." Unlike it's smaller counterpart in Tampa, MCO's arisides are much larger in capacity.

Arriving international passengers who require immigration and/or customs clearance are processed through those checkpoints in the airside terminal where they arrive. After clearing US immigration, passengers collect their bags and clear US customs. They must then turn in their bags to have them transported to the main terminal. International passengers then ride the people mover to the main terminal, where they can reclaim their bags a second time in one of the main terminal's baggage claims. Because the people mover is located inside the secure part of the airport, international passengers must go through a security inspection upon leaving the customs area.

Airside 1 (gates 1-29)

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Orlando International Airport".

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