South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Miami tops Orlando as busiest airport in Florida
Miami International’s stunning growth in airline passenger numbers last year enabled it to reclaim a title that Orlando International has been coveting as Florida’s busiest airport.
Miami’s airport saw 13.3 million more passengers last year than in 2021 for a total of 50.6 million.
“Congratulations to the MIA team and partners on surpassing 50 million passengers for the first time in its history,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Wednesday. “Passenger growth represents tourism revenue, job creation, and expanded opportunities in Miami-Dade County — making all county residents proud.”
Orlando International Airport also boasted this week that in 2022 it topped the 50 million passenger mark for the second time, with the first occurring in 2019.
“O r l a n d o International Airport saw nearly 10 million more passengers in 2022 than the year before,” said Kevin Thibault, chief executive officer at the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. “These numbers validate our strong belief that Terminal C was more than needed to meet projected demand. By continuing to build during the pandemic, we are now well positioned for the future growth and economic expansion of the Central Florida region.”
The $3 billion Terminal C opened last, housing JetBlue as the prime tenant and nearly a dozen international carriers.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said Central Florida continues to grow at a record pace, which, coupled with the airport’s new terminal, new train station and arrival later this year of Brightline Trains service from South Florida, means “we only expect these numbers and the economic impact OIA has in our community to grow.”
Thibault said Orlando’s airport passenger numbers last year grew 24 percent over 2021 to reach 50.2 million travelers. Last year, airport leaders frequently touted Orlando’s standing in 2021, a period of major recovery from the pandemic, as the seventh busiest in the nation and in the world, and Florida’s busiest.
B u t O r l a n d o ’s 24 percent growth was paltry compared to Miami’s yearover-year increase of 35 percent, which the South Florida airport referred to as a “giant leap.”
While Miami’s passenger growth was a smackdown on Orlando’s, it wasn’t unexpected.
Miami International, with its American Airlines hub, has long been a dominating airport in the U.S. for international travelers.
But Miami International has evened up the playing field with Orlando, taking on several low-cost airlines that have long driven most of Orlando’s traffic.
“Since 2019, MIA has also welcomed low-cost carriers Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and JetBlue Airways, which now rank as the airport’s second, fourth, and eighth-busiest passenger airlines in seat capacity, respectively,” Miami’s airport said in a statement.
National and International airport rankings by Airports Council International will come in April.
“This renewed role and our new record of nearly 51 million annual passengers would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of the Miami-Dade Aviation Department and our partner airlines, federal agencies, concessionaires, and service companies,” said Ralph Cutié, Miami International’s director and chief executive officer.