[Metro Orlando Airport News]

GOAA is studying several things. Decisions should be made on what to tackle, in what order later this year.

1) a parking survey to deduce need and amount of need (how many more spaces and what kind of spaces - short term vs long term, premium vs economy) and a price comparison to comparable airports.

2) A CONRAC (combined remote rental car facility).  The CONRAC will free up public parking  space in all garages. The study will analyze size and location of future CONRAC. Several location are being studied.

3) traffic management and roadway  congestion study. To address roadway backups at the approach to arrival and departure curbs.

4) North Terminal modernization, including redevelopment of TSA Checkpoints and Concession master planning (think what DEN just did). Possibly relocate Checkpoints to alleviate backups and put more Concessions post security.

5) modernization/expansion of Airsides 1, 2, 3 and 4. (Primarily 1 & 3 first).

6) expansion of Terminal C (Phase 2). Studying includes timing and size (only 12 or full 22 gates).

7) airline reshuffle to better utilize facilities. Part of this was on hold pending the jetBlue/Spirit merger, but I think now will move ahead. Several International airlines should relocate to Terminal C this Spring with others "reshuffling" some time after.

 

There is a lot in the study phase. GOAA should have started some of this 5 or 6 years ago. I think the push back they got when they initially attempted to start Terminal  C back in 2015,(they've since changed their operating practice to avoid this) and then the pandemic made them gun shy. Now they have to play catch up with a regional economy that is out pacing them. They won't be able to tackle everything all at once, hence the studies to aide in prioritization. They'll move forward with some of these soon, nut of course it will be several years before any of these projects are complete and in operation. 

Orlando International Airport is owned and operated by GOAA through Florida State statute. It is quasi government. (Neither fully publicly owned, nor fully privately owned) GOAA is an independent Authority self governed by a Board. GOAA is self funded and takes no public funding outside of government grants for construction (federal and state) funded by user fees.

 

[Metro Orlando Airport News]

On 8/17/2022 at 3:15 PM, jrs2 said:

Thank you for the info.  It's cool that the hotel isn't just conceptual; rather that they will begin development of it in the very near future.

As for JetBlue/ Spirit, I am not losing sleep over it or anything, but, last month I dropped off a friend at Spirit check-in on B- Side and they were quickly directed to JetBlue check-in on A- Side to check in for an international flight they were taking.  Another couple of people here said that there needed to be X number of approvals before their "operations" "merged." 

So, I think you know my next question:  how does that correlate with what I just stated?  Does anybody really know?, 

It doesn't seem like they are operating as separate carriers at present (sans the two actual fleets of jets they each have in their respective inventories).  BTW, this isn't a rumor; I actually parked in Terminal Top Parking and went to JetBlue with them while this was happening to make sure they didn't miss their flight.

Comments?  Observations?

Spirit recently split their check in operations by moving International check in to the A side of the Terminal (near (jetBlue). So your friend still checked in with Spirit, just at their new area near jetBlue.

[Metro Orlando Airport News]

On 8/17/2022 at 11:22 AM, shardoon said:

I know you mentioned construction bids were opened on completing phase 1A, so hopefully the new terminal will not looked unfinished on one end.  When would you expect active construction to restart on 1A?  Also, do you know the timeline on consideration of a skytrain for terminal C? I know that was in the final master plan, but did not know when it would be considered? Pahse 2 of terminal C? Phase 3? Or would they wait on that until they break ground on terminal D? 

Phase 2 should see the first part of the Terminal C APM constructed with it initially going from the Airside hub of the next phase (North end) to the current (about to open) Landside building. It will be expanded with additional Terminal expansion phases to eventually serve all the Airside hubs of Terminals C & D.

[Metro Orlando Airport News]

On 8/10/2022 at 10:37 AM, jrs2 said:

I wonder how much of an impact the opening of Terminal C will have on those numbers, or, whether it will be a wash b/c JetBlue purchased Spirit and is discontinuing some routes.

jetBlue and Spirit have an agreement to merge (in principle) but the actuaL merge is at least a couple of years away. They still need several approvals (DOJ, FAA) and to plan exactly how the merger will take place (combine staff, management,  fleets, airport operations,  routes and hundreds of other contracts) . Until then, they will continue to operate as separate carriers. 

On 8/10/2022 at 10:30 AM, jrs2 said:

was the master plan design for a hotel going in that space purely conceptual for some distant future redesign?

Do you have updated travel numbers for OIA for 2022 (or 2021 (I guess)?  I'm not sure which 12 month period they look at.

The hotel is still planned. It should parallel the new walkway on the South side. I think GOAA has their hands very full with getting Terminal C open next month. I wouldn't expect much movement on the hotel until next year.

GOAA reports their passenger numbers on a rolling 12 moths. As noted above, they expect to be  close, if not exceed 2019. GOAA's budget year ends next month (runs Oct thru Sept). They'll release some comparisons to 2021 and 2019 I'm sure. Should be a pretty good indicator of how things are going. 

[Metro Orlando Airport News]

On 8/8/2022 at 1:43 PM, jrs2 said:

great shot.  but those pilings/ uprights have been there untouched for some time (since 2021).  Have you noticed any new work on that connection yet?

The contract bid opening for the resumption of construction for this and the Terminal expansion (4 additional gates that were suspended in 2020) happened last week. Expect award and resumption of activity in the next 60 days, or so. Some fencing and grading will happen before then as current construction wraps up.

[Brightline Trains]

On 8/5/2022 at 2:53 PM, jrs2 said:

yeah it looks like there is a spur off of the CSX line already there for years that comes in from the NW where the railyard for the Autotrain is; it heads SE from there, then due south, and borders the western edge of  airport property. I presume that they would improve that spur for passenger rail if they expanded to there.  That track ends up continuing south then shadows 419 and then dead ends a little to the east of there and from that point east it has been converted to Trails.

I could see, if the east/west Sunrail comes together, it taking/using the Stanton line from South of OIA with stations in Lake Nona and Randal Park/Sunbridge. It could ultimately continue to Waterford Lakes and UCF, but how it would get there is anyone's guess as I see no easy paths North from Stanton. 

I am very curious as to the new Westward path from OIA to "Disney". I've seen some reporting that the route goes North on current Sunrail tracks near Orange Ave to Taft Vineland Rd to SR528 and John Young Parkway. I don't see this a reasonable route for Sunrail. For Brightline maybe as it is direct to the OCCC, but that doesn't  work for commuter rail. It bypasses a major potential passenger Station at the Florida Mall/ Orange Blossom Trail. I think it needs to find its way up to 528 before John Young Parkway, but there are no easy paths for that. 

The future looks to be very interesting.

Future East/West Sunrail with stations at I4/ 535 [Disney], SR528/Destination Parkway [OCCC/I Drive], SR528/Orange Blossom Trail [Florida Mall/Hunter's Creek],  OIA [connection to current Sunrail],  Lake Nona, Randal Park/Sunbridge, Waterford Lakes and UCF.   

[Brightline Trains]

It makes no sense to divert BL to I Drive (OCCC/Universal) area. Except for a community to hijack the project to benefit them without any financial skin in the game!

BL is inter-city rail and will operate at the most once or twice per hour in high demand times and once every 2 hours at other times. This is not the type of rail that is needed to service the I Drive corridor from the airport.

Sunrail (with an increase in service that airport service would demand) would be best for this. This is why BL is negotiating with Sunrail to run service on the airport to Disney line, because that is the proper type (or light rail) to service that area.

Even better would be a light rail line for I Drive that connected to BL at 417 and I Drive/World Center Dr. That line could service ALL of I Drive (Vineland Outlets/Sea World/OCCC/ICON Park/Univeral/International Outlets/Mall of Millenia) and connect beyond.