ORLANDO, FL. – The January 2021 passenger traffic figures are in and Orlando International Airport (MCO) remains the busiest airport in Florida, even with a 55 percent decline in passengers over January 2020. International traffic led the decline with a reduction of nearly 86 percent, while domestic traffic was off almost 51 percent. With international travel restrictions still in place and numerous lockdowns around the world, international passenger traffic is not expected to rebound as quickly as domestic traffic after the pandemic.

The lower January numbers were anticipated because January 2020 was actually one of the last full months where MCO experienced record breaking traffic prior to the start of the pandemic.

The numbers also revealed that Central Floridian’s dependence upon mail deliveries during the COVID-19 crisis continued to increase. In January, domestic mail delivery was the bright spot for Orlando International with an increase of more than 75 percent over 2020.

January Statistical Data:

• In January, domestic traffic declined 50.84 percent with 1,869,575 passengers at MCO.
• International traffic dropped 85.8 percent as only 81,066 international travelers arrived and departed Orlando International.
• Overall, traffic was off 55.43 percent for the month, with a total of 1,950,641 passengers in January.

Current Update: Spring Break

March 18, 2020 was the unofficial beginning of the pandemic’s impact on Orlando International Airport. A direct comparison of corresponding days, now versus then, shows MCOs Spring Break 2021 passenger traffic improving.

Traffic Summary Report