Orlando International Airport: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Orlando International Airport is an airport located in Orlando, Florida. It is a hub for Delta Air Lines subsidiary Chautauqua Airlines (Delta Connection), and a focus city for US Airways.

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, and by 2000 that number had soared to 30 million.

Today, MCO covers 23 square miles (60km²), and is the third-largest airport in the United States by area (after Denver and Dallas). MCO also has North America's tallest control tower.

Because of Eastern Airlines' association with Disney World during the 1970s and early 1980s, the airport served that company as a hub. It also served Delta Air Lines as a hub under similar circumstances, once Delta began its association with the famous Orlando theme park.

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

Structure and function

Orlando International Airport has a single main terminal connected by people mover to four airside terminals. Airsides 1 and 2 use baggage claim "A", while airsides 3 and 4 use baggage claim "B."

Airside 1 (gates 1-29)

• Air Jamaica (Montego Bay)
• Air Transat (Toronto)
• Alaska Airlines (Seattle)
• America West Airlines (Las Vegas, Phoenix)
• American Airlines (Boston, Chicago O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York LaGuardia, San Juan, St. Louis)
• American Eagle (Raleigh/Durham)
• American Trans Air (Chicago Midway, San Juan)
• Bahamasair (Nassau)
• Canjet (Hamilton)
• Champion Air
• Chautauqua Airlines dba American Connection (St. Louis)
• Continental Airlines (Cleveland, Houston Bush, Newark)
• Continental Express (Houston)
• Copa Airlines (Lima Peru, Panama City)
• Executive Air dba American Eagle (Nassau)
• Falcon Air Express
• Gulfstream International Airlines dba Continental Connection (Key West, Miami)
• Iberia
• Kelowna Flightcraft
• Miami International Airlines
• Mexicana
• Omni Air International
• Pace Airlines
• Planet Airways
• Ryan International Airlines (Atlanta)
• Skyquest Charters
• Skyservice (Toronto Pearson)
• Sunworld International Airlines
• Zoom Airlines

Airside 2 (gates 100-129)

• AirTran (Akron/Canton, Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington, Bloomington, Dallas/Fort Worth, Dayton, Flint, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Moline, Newport News, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Rochester)
• JetBlue (Boston, New York JFK)
• Southwest Airlines (Albany, Albuquerque, Austin, Baltimore/Washington, Birmingham, Buffalo, Chicago Midway, Columbus, Fort Lauderdale, Hartford, Houston Hobby, Indianapolis, Islip, Jackson, Kansas City, Louisville, Manchester, Nashville, New Orleans, Norfolk, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Providence, Raleigh/Durham, San Antonio, St. Louis)
• Spirit Airlines (Atlantic City, Chicago O'Hare, Detroit, New York LaGuardia, San Juan)

Airside 3 (gates 30-59)

• Air Canada (Halifax, Toronto)
• Air Midwest dba US Airways Express (Fort Walton Beach, Panama City)
• Northwest Airlines (Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul)
• Ted (Denver, Washington Dulles)
• United Airlines (Chicago O'Hare, Los Angeles, San Francisco)
• US Airways (Albany, Bermuda, Buffalo, Charlotte, Hartford, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, Syracuse, Washington Reagan)

Airside 4 (gates 60-99)

• Aeroméxico (Mexico City)
• British Airways (London Gatwick)
• Chautauqua Airlines/Comair dba Delta Connection (Birmingham, Cincinnati, Columbia, Columbus, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Greensboro, Greenville/Spartanburg, Huntsville/Decatur, Louisville, Miami, Mobile, Nashville, Nassau, New Orleans, Pensacola, Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, St. Louis, Tallahassee, Washington Reagan, West Palm Beach)
• Condor (Frankfurt am Main, San Jose C.R.)
• Delta Air Lines (Atlanta, Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth, New York LaGuardia, Salt Lake City)
• Frontier Airlines (Denver)
• Icelandair (Keflavik)
• LTU International (Dusseldorf)
• Martinair Holland (Amsterdam, San Jose C.R.)
• Miami Air
• Midwest Airlines (Milwaukee)
• Song (Boston, Hartford, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Newark, New York JFK, New York LaGuardia, San Juan)
• Sun Country Airlines (Minneapolis/St. Paul)
• Virgin Atlantic (London Gatwick, Manchester)