The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have awarded Orlando International Airport (MCO) in Florida with US$69m in federal funds for two Terminal C expansion projects.
MCO will receive US$49m for the Terminal C Phase 1 expansion project, which includes the construction of four additional multiple aircraft ramp system (MARS) gates capable of serving either four wide-body or eight narrow-body aircraft. An additional US$20m will be earmarked to fund a portion of the 137m, enclosed pedestrian connector bridge which will provide direct access between the train station and Terminal C. These projects were previously suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic due to budget considerations.
The FAA is awarding nearly US$1bn to airports across the country for projects aimed at improving the passenger experience, accessibility and more. The funding, which comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), will be awarded in grants of differing amounts to about 100 different airports across the US. The BIL provides US$1bn annually for five years for Airport Terminal Program projects. In total, the law will provide US$25bn to modernize the US’s airport infrastructure.
Carson Good, chairman of GOAA, said, “We are grateful to the administration, USDOT and the FAA for making this investment in the Central Florida region. We also thank Mayor Buddy Dyer and Mayor Jerry Demings, Congressman Darren Soto, Kevin Thibault and the rest of the [GOAA] management staff for supporting the effort to secure these grants.”
Kevin Thibault, CEO of GOAA, said, “As Orlando International continues to handle record-setting passenger totals, it is vital that airport improvement efforts keep pace with our traffic. Terminal C is the future of transportation in Central Florida and its multimodal connectivity will increase our capacity to accommodate projected future demand.”
To find out more about Orlando International Airport’s latest developments, click here.
