Airport Business 2023 Project of the Year: Orlando International Airport Terminal C
At $2.8 billion and 1.8 million square feet, Orlando International Airport’s new Terminal C represents the largest expansion in the airport’s history.
Terminal C’s design principle, “Beyond the Orlando Experience,” used advanced technology, sustainability and cultural sensitivity, together with the airport’s trademark use of light, water and foliage features in facility design to create a passenger-first experience like no other. The building’s linear configuration and use of natural light make wayfinding intuitive. Passengers entering the terminal follow the Boulevard, a towering skylight atrium, directly to ticketing and security. Of the TSA screening lanes, 80% are automated, a U.S. first, and can handle 100 more passengers per hour than traditional lanes, providing some of the best throughput in the industry. For international passengers, there is no fumbling for smartphones or paper boarding passes and little queuing as the industry’s first 100% facial recognition “e-gates” scan up to five passengers at a time. The industry’s unique “Bags First” design streamlines the U.S. Customs and Border Protection process, and a 100% trackable baggage handling system, another first, allows passengers to retrieve all baggage – even strollers and golf clubs – at one carousel.
“Terminal C opened at a time when our passenger volume is returning to pre-pandemic levels and will help to offset heavy volume in our current terminal and sustain our growth,” said Kevin Thibault Greater Orlando Aviation Authority Chief Executive Officer. “Some terminals are designed for aircraft, Terminal C is designed for people. In addition to providing our guests with a memorable experience that showcases all the region has to offer, it will serve as the foundation for an intermodal hub that will welcome planes, trains and automobiles.” Arriving passengers know they are in Florida as they step into the sun-bathed arrival hall on the terminal’s top level, which welcomes travelers with spectacular Central Florida vistas. The innovative baggage system’s lean, space-saving vertical circulation made the unique top-level arrival experience possible. The conveniences continue as passengers leave the terminal. Landside, Terminal C is the first to fully integrate multimodal ground-air-rail transportation, including high-speed rail coming in 2023. Airside, the terminal’s new 100% total virtual ramp control, another first, ensures safe, timely arrivals and departures.
“The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, along with our many partners on the Terminal C project, are extremely gratified to receive this recognition,” said Thibault. “This architecturally impressive and technologically innovative facility provides a ‘sense of place’ and maintains Orlando International Airport’s reputation as an industry leader in customer convenience. It will also serve as an enduring focal point for business and leisure travel to the Central Florida community.”
Champions Sustainability: Terminal C is designed for certification as one of the first LEEDv4 airport campuses.
Captures Central Florida: Terminal C’s design integrates Central Florida’s signature elements of water, foliage and sky with expansive glass skylights, massive glass curtain walls, artist interpretations of natural springs and lanky palm and cypress trees. But, of all Terminal C’s passenger-focused features, mega-digital displays incorporating over 90 million pixels showcasing quintessential Central Florida scenes elicit the loudest “Wow!”: “Windows on Orlando,” three side-by-side panoramic screens, 33 feet high by 100 feet long. The “Moment Vault,” a 30-foot-tall, 360-degree immersive surround experience on a digital canvas. Planned future “Portal,” 32 custom-curved screens suspended in a helical frame with digital content.
Changes with Demand: Terminal C’s common-use facilities allow airlines to operate out of any gate for any length of time. All 15 swing gates can handle international and domestic flights and accommodate up to 20 aircraft, including narrow-body, jumbo and super-jumbo jets.
Creates Capacity: With Terminal C, MCO can serve an additional 10-12 million passengers annually. At full buildout, the South Terminal can house up to 120 gates and serve 60 million passengers annually. The terminal’s economic impact is estimated to exceed $5.6 billion.
