Orlando Airport

This Monday saw a trip to Orlando to visit CVS 204. I could spend a whole day at this beautiful airport with it's fountains and palm trees!

Orlando Airport's life span has been short and spectacular; the first scheduled international service did not lift off from its runways until 1984. The airport has gone from redundant Air Force base to a 30 million plus passenger airport in 20 years.
The closure of the McCoy Air Force Base gave Orlando its start. Surplus land was given to the city for an airport facility and in 1975 the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority was born.
The following year the base was re-named Orlando International Airport and by 1978 it had claimed the title 'fastest growing airport in the US'. Six years of steady growth saw Orlando acquire a new terminal, an international concourse and, significantly, launch Orlando Tradeport which was to establish the airport as a major trade center for Central Florida.
By now the Sunshine State's man-made as well as natural attractions had visitors flocking in from all parts of the globe, with Walt Disney World a star performer. The 1980s were a boom and decision time for Orlando Airport. The pressure was on as airlines lined up for slots, international services to Europe took off and business traffic increased.
It meant a second expansion program which resulted in the building of a third runway and a third airside terminal. By 1992 passenger numbers had hit the 20 million mark and as they go on rising Orlando has kept pace with development through an imaginative development program.
Alongside all these people are the petals, millions of them. Central Florida is the biggest exporter of flowers, plants and nursery stock by air in the US and Orlando handles 80% of it. It even has its own Department of Agriculture plant inspection station and perishables center.
Orlando is managing a continuing program of expansion. It is the airport which, you could say, has become the real McCoy.