OIA busiest airport in Florida, 7th in the nation in 2021

ORLANDO, Fla. — More passengers flew in and out of Orlando International Airport last year than any other airport in the state, officials said Monday.

Airport officials said 40.3 million passengers traveled through OIA in 2021, up more than 86% from 2020. That number is still down from pre-pandemic levels when it saw 50.6 million travelers in 2019.

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“When the pandemic first hit, many predicted it would take several years to recover. By continuing airport operations and construction of the South terminal, our board demonstrated confidence in Central Florida’s amazing resilience and 2021 turned out much better than anyone expected,” said Carson Good, chairman of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, in a statement. “I expect 2022 to be another year of growth for Orlando and the region.”

READ: TSA seizes record number of guns in 2021, OIA ranks in top 10

The 2021 numbers also boosted OIA from the ninth busiest airport in the country, up to seventh.

Airport officials said domestic travel jumped 92% over 2020 and international travel increased 20.5%.

READ: OIA sees increase in international travel numbers for first time since pandemic began

Video: TSA seizes record number of guns in 2021, OIA ranks in top 10 New data shows in 2021, TSA agents seized more guns at airport checkpoints than ever before, with Orlando International Airport landing in the top 10 airports. (Alexa Lorenzo, WFTV.com)

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