Orlando International Airport now handles nearly 50 million passengers annually thanks to growth of about 8 percent during the past year — and that makes the coming holiday season likely to be jam-packed.
The current volume is about 5 million passengers a year more than the airport’s optimal capacity, airport director Phil Brown said.
Ranking last year as the nation’s 10th-busiest and Florida’s busiest, Orlando’s airport has only two checkpoints for TSA security, which in past years has resulted in long lines and waits.
The more problematic checkpoint had been at the airport’s west side until a recent renovation and expansion.
Brown warned that the east-side checkpoint, which is beneath the Hyatt Regency hotel, is more likely to have backups during the coming holidays.
The airport is building a terminal about a mile south of the existing terminal. Parking there at Garage C is already open. The $3 billion south terminal is slated to open in 2021, a target made uncertain because of a tight labor market.
Brown said the airport will be vulnerable to crowding in garages, the ticketing areas and the security checkpoints.
“This is a slow period,” Brown said. “When you get into the peak period, you are going to see a lot more scrunching together.”
kspear@orlandosentinel.com
