The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority marked the opening of Terminal C with a celebration this week, that echoed the project’s ‘vision to reality story’.

 

The GOAA, which describes the terminal as ‘innovative’ and ‘geared toward high-tech conveniences for passengers’, welcomed local community leaders and airport partners to the celebration, which acknowledged the work of former board chairs and airport executives who first envisioned what would later become Terminal C.

 

With an eclectic mix of national and local brands, Terminal C features 24 food & beverage outlets, 11 retail stores and one lounge for a total of more than 80,000sq ft of concession space. To maximise customer options once they make their way to the gate area, 93% of the concessions are located post-security.

 

“Operations at Terminal C began on September 20, 2022, almost 40 years from the opening of the main terminal in 1981,” said GOAA Chief Executive Officer Kevin Thibault.

 

“We celebrate Terminal C’s opening at a time when our passenger volume is returning to pre-pandemic levels. Terminal C will help to offset heavy volume in our Main Terminal and help to sustain our growth. It is the foundation for an intermodal hub that will welcome planes, trains and automobiles.”

 

 

Large-scale immersive and interactive multimedia features are architecturally integrated and feature original content displayed in ultrahigh resolution. The cinematic storytelling celebrates distinctly Central Florida experiences, such as a rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, cattle herding on the Deseret Ranch and swimming with manatees in Crystal River.

 

The displays are featured in the gate area hub and airside North Concourse, with the third feature in the public entrance area planned for the future.

 

Terminal C has been designed as one of the first LEED v4 airport campuses in the world; ‘Forever Trees’ are constructed from preserved materials from actual palm and cypress trees; limited ingress & egress points enhance internal climate control efforts; floating solar array tests the viability of solar power generation.

 

“Terminal C is a smart, forward-thinking investment for the Orlando International Airport to benefit the millions of Floridians and tourists who travel in and out of the state each year,” said Jared W. Perdue, P.E., Florida Department of Transportation Secretary.

 

“The integrated rail-air-ground transportation hub is an example of the innovative advancements we’re making in Florida’s communities and transportation infrastructure to expand mobility, reinforce a robust supply chain, and enhance economic growth.”

 

Terminal C is home to 11 airline carriers, including domestic anchor JetBlue. It received its first flight on 20 September and to date has welcomed nearly 1 million passengers.

 

Exalted as ‘a critical element of airport development and Central Florida’s economic growth’, Terminal C promises to accommodate an additional 10 to 12 million annual passengers, which will increase overall airport capacity to nearly 60 million passengers a year.