Orlando Intl (Private Terminal)

A Legacy of Private Aviation

MCO was originally constructed as a U.S. Army Air Force facility and was originally known as Orlando Army Air Field #2, with operations beginning in 1942. It was originally an Auxiliary airfield to the Orlando Army Air Base (now Orlando Executive Airport). In January 1943, Air Field #2 was renamed Pinecastle Army Airfield. Following WWII, the airfield was briefly used for unpowered glide tests of the Bell X-1, and the establishment of the independent U.S. Air Force in 1947 left the airfield in caretaker status. The base was deactivated during the Korean War and was used as a Strategic Air Command (SAC) facility for B-47 Stratojets and KC-97 Stratofreighters. At the time, the airfield was renamed Pinecastle AFB. During the 1950s, the base hosted the SAC's annual Bombing and Navigation Competition. During the 1958 competition, a B-47 Stratojet crashed and killed Colonel Michael Norman Wright McCoy (commander of the 321st Bombardment Wing, the host wing for Pinecastle AFB). The base was renamed in honor of the commander the following year. The base was later home to the 306th Bombardment Wing and was also used by EC-121 Warning Star early warning aircraft of the 966th Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron. During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, McCoy became the primary base for U-2 reconnaissance aircraft flying over Cuba (and following the crisis, the base hosted a permanent U-2 operating detachment until 1973). During the crisis, the base was also a temporary forward operating base for F-100 Super Sabre and F-105 Thunderchief fighter bombers. As part of a post-Vietnam reduction in force, McCoy was identified for closure in 1973, and it was turned over to the City of Orlando between late 1974 to mid-1975. USAF's responsibility for the air traffic control tower was turned over to the FAA, and the airport established its own crash, fire, and rescue department. By that point in time, McCoy had already been a joint civil-military facility since the early 1960s, when jet airline flights first came to Orlando. The reason for this was that early jet flights required longer runways than the ones available at Herndon Airport (now Orlando Executive Airport), which could not expand, prompting an agreement between the USAF and the City of Orlando for joint use. As part of the agreement, the USAF would provide a missile maintenance hangar and its associated flight line rmap area for conversion into a civil air terminal, and the city would cover the cost of building a replacement missile maintenance hangar. Further, the new facility would be known as the Orlando Jetport at McCoy, to operate alongside McCoy AFB (this agreement became the model upon which other joint civil-military airports in operation today were constructed). Shortly after the agreement, airline flights began in October 1961, having shifted from Herndon Airport. By 1971, Orlando Jetport was serviced by Delta Air Lines, Eastern Air Lines, National Airlines, and Southern Airways. That same year saw the opening of Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, which led to a significant increase in air travel to Orlando. Further increases in airport traffic were brought about by airline deregulation in 1978. In 1975, McCoy AFB closed, although part of the facility remained under military control to support Naval Training Center Orlando and several tenant commands. Once the final Air Force contingent departed, the airport was fully under the control of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA), which was established as a state-chartered local government agency and an enterprise fund of the city of Orlando. Its mission was the operation, management, and oversight of the construction of expansions and improvements to both Orlando airports. The airport was named Orlando International Airport, as it gained international status in 1976 (although it kept its old IATA code MCO). In 1978 MCO became a U.S. Customs Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ), and the following year it was designated a large hub airport by the FAA. In 1981, the current Landside Terminal and two Airsides (known today as Airside 1 and 3) were completed. In 1983, a chapel was opened, memorializing Michael Galvin, who died during the construction of the airport's expansion. In 1984, the original International Terminal opened, and it was housed in Airside 1. Furthermore, Runway 17/35 (now 17R/35L) was completed in 1981, while Airside 4 opened in 1990, also containing an International Concourse. Meanwhile, Airside 2 (filling out what became the North Terminal) was completed in 2000, with additional (and final ) gates added in 2006. In 2003, Runway 17/35R opened to serve as the airport's fourth runway. To give an idea of the airport's growth, in 1978, it handled 5 million passengers, whereas, in 2018, it covered 47 million. Furthermore, MCO was designated as a Space Shuttle emergency landing site. In contrast, Runways 18L/36R and 18R/36 L were designated for B-52 Stratofortress bombers due to their proximity to NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center, thus making them the logical choice should an emergency return to launch site fall short. Additionally, the runways were also an emergency divert site for NASA's Boeing 747 Shuttle Transport Aircraft when relocating orbiters from the west coast, where they were either undergoing modification work or divert recoveries. During the 70s and early 80s, Eastern Air Lines used MCO as a focus city (and was "the official airline of Walt Disney World"), a role that was assumed by Delta Air Lines after Eastern went belly up. The Delta hub began working in 1987, housed with Airside 4, which included an international arrivals facility, a ramp tower, and a wong for regional aircraft under the people mover guideway. Later on, Delta would pull most of its larger aircraft, instead choosing to focus on regional flights using first of all Comair (its Delta Connection Affiliate) and later Chautauqua Airlines. The hub was closed entirely in 2007. As AirTran Airways had also operated a hub at MCO since 1993, the closure of the Delta hub allowed AirTran to relocate to Airside 4 (using former Delta gates). In 2014 AirTran merged with Southwest Airlines, making it the busiest carrier at MCO to this day. On September 1st, 2015, Emirates began daily service to MCO from Dubai International Airport, making it the first Florida airport to be serviced by the airline, with the expectation that the route would attract leisure travelers, corporate travelers, and locals of Asian heritage traveling to Asia through connecting flights. GOAA Chair Frank Kruppenbacher called the new service the "most significant move forward for the airport," with an estimated economic impact of $100 million annually. Whereas the inaugural flight was aboard an Airbus A380, regularly scheduled flights are on the Boeing 777-300ERs. Nonetheless, Gate 90 was updated in 2018 with three jetways capable of properly handling the A380 (originally docked at Gate 84). MCO reached 44.6 million passengers in 2017, surpassing Miami International Airport as the busiest in Florida. On November 17th of that same year, the Orlando International Airport Intermodal Terminal opened (at the cost of $684 million). It is connected to the Terminal A/B complex by an automated people mover line. Furthermore, it is directly connected to Terminal C, a new 2,500-space parking garage, and the Brightline higher speed regional service to South Florida station. Those mentioned above all opened in September 2022.