Orlando International Airport in Florida has announced that the official opening date for its US$2.75bn South Terminal C will be September 19, 2022.
The terminal will open over a two-week period. International operations will begin on September 19 and domestic operations on September 26. The dates were determined at the April board meeting of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA), taking into account several factors including increased logistical challenges due to the volume of passengers and the ensuing difficulty for airline partners to transition while maintaining operational readiness. The opening has also been calculated to align with the beginning of a new fiscal year.
Also at the April board meeting, members voted on a new slate of board officers for the next two years. Carson Good was selected to continue as chairman, Dr John Evans Jr was chosen as vice chairman, Belinda Kirkegard was named treasurer and Kevin Thibault will serve as secretary.
Thibault, the current chief executive officer of GOAA, said, “Although we could open before Labor Day, it is best that we transition airline operations and our customers at a period with less passenger travel than our normal peak summer season. As we get closer to those dates, we will notify the board and the community on various milestones, as well as events to commemorate this exciting opportunity.”
Good said, “We want to ensure that from day one, Terminal C will be ready to accommodate our growing air service demands while providing the utmost in customer convenience. Going ‘beyond the Orlando experience’ has always been our goal for this facility and we’re confident that when it opens, it will exceed those expectations.”