OIA south terminal expansion approved

A major expansion has been approved to make it easier for travelers to get in and out of Orlando International Airport.

Airport officials green-lighted construction on a new south terminal and work on the project may start in January.

The architect designing $1.8 billion worth of airport told the board on Wednesday he wants to give them some bang for their buck.

Curtis Fentress worked under well-known architect I.M. Pei, and he’s recently done airport designs for Denver, Seattle and LAX.

“Operations are continually changing every day, so there’s always a new and better way to do things,” said Fentress.

He said designing OIA’s future was focused on fliers in a way older designed were not.

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Every one of the 16 new gates can accept international flights, and those arriving passengers will stay on the same level they arrive on all the way to the curb.

It’s on top, so people who have been inside planes will get some daylight.

“You don’t want to come in cramped like a sardine right? That’s not the Orlando experience,” said Orlando International Airport director Phil Brown.

The new terminal features art work and promotional displays designed to entice business travelers, and make vacationers think back fondly on their trip to Central Florida.

Airport leaders all it an investment in the future.

An investment they’ve applied to have travelers help with by placing a surcharge of a few dollars on travelers’ tickets.

It’ll take another four months until airport officials decide whether to approve that surcharge.

It would be capped at $4.50 per flight.

Airlines will be part of the bill in the form of landing and gate fees for planes coming in.

Cox Media Group