ORLANDO, FL. – The nation’s airports were busy this holiday season but few were busier than Orlando International Airport (MCO). According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), MCO was the busiest airport in the nation for departures 18 out of the 21 holiday travel days. Over that period, Orlando, Miami and Fort Lauderdale combined make up 10 percent of all the departure traffic in the country.
“The 21-day holiday travel period was better than we projected at Orlando International Airport. We ranked busiest airport in the nation for departing passengers, consistently,” says Phil Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. “The introduction of a vaccine to combat COVID-19 combined with pent up demand, low air fares and our emphasis on a clean and safe travel environment for our guests all contributed to the strong
numbers.”
In total, nearly 900,000 passengers flew out of Orlando International for the holidays as compared to earlier estimates of 775,000. Even with the improved holiday numbers, traffic was down about 42 percent compared to last year’s 1.5 million Christmas/New Year’s departures. MCO now has recovered over 85 percent of its pre-COVID 19 domestic air service destinations.
2019-20 Actual Departures | 2020-21 Projected / Actual | |||
Wednesday, Dec 18, 2019 | 59,374 | Friday, Dec 18, 2020 | 35,675 | 37,358 |
Thursday, Dec 19, 2019 | 63,549 | Saturday, Dec 19, 2020 | 41,852 | 38,924 |
Friday, Dec 20, 2019 | 71,271 | Sunday, Dec 20, 2020 | 43,131 | 44,399 |
Saturday, Dec 21, 2019 | 76,267 | Monday, Dec 21, 2020 | 41,929 | 37,602 |
Sunday, Dec 22, 2019 | 72,429 | Tuesday, Dec 22, 2020 | 37,613 | 38,679 |
Monday, Dec 23, 2019 | 71,753 | Wednesday, Dec 23, 2020 | 38,982 | 48,519 |
Tuesday, Dec 24, 2019 | 58,854 | Thursday, Dec 24, 2020 | 25,800 | 35,292 |
Wednesday, Dec 25, 2019 | 58,018 | Friday, Dec 25, 2020 | 25,595 | 25,680 |
Thursday, Dec 26, 2019 | 77,109 | Saturday, Dec 26, 2020 | 42,362 | 45,900 |
Friday, Dec 27, 2019 | 80,355 | Sunday, Dec 27, 2020 | 44,571 | 51,876 |
Saturday, Dec 28, 2019 | 85,161 | Monday, Dec 28, 2020 | 41,540 | 43,092 |
Sunday, Dec 29, 2019 | 80,727 | Tuesday, Dec 29, 2020 | 36,910 | 38,715 |
Monday, Dec 30, 2019 | 80,174 | Wednesday, Dec 30, 2020 | 36,426 | 47,478 |
Tuesday, Dec 31, 2019 | 66,857 | Thursday, Dec 31, 2020 | 26,007 | 38,456 |
Wednesday, Jan 1, 2020 | 73,625 | Friday, Jan 1, 2021 | 28,385 | 42,063 |
Thursday, Jan 2, 2020 | 79,009 | Saturday, Jan 2, 2021 | 42,643 | 60,680 |
Friday, Jan 3, 2020 | 82,063 | Sunday, Jan 3, 2021 | 44,971 | 60,855 |
Saturday, Jan 4, 2020 | 84,094 | Monday, Jan 4, 2021 | 42,123 | 53,482 |
Sunday, Jan 5, 2020 | 82,451 | Tuesday, Jan 5, 2021 | 33,397 | 39,498 |
Monday, Jan 6, 2020 | 77,092 | Wednesday, Jan 6, 2021 | 31,725 | 29,689 |
Tuesday, Jan 7, 2020 | 65,354 | Thursday, Jan 7, 2021 | 33,199 | 32,160 |
2022 Charlotte Douglas International Airport Report of Achievement
Giving back to the community is central to what Charlotte Douglas International Airport and its operator, the City of Charlotte Aviation Department, is about, and last year was no different.
Throughout 2022, while recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, we continued our efforts to have a positive impact on the Charlotte community. Of particular note, we spent the year sharing stories of how Connections Don't Just Happen at the Terminal - from creating homeownership and employment opportunities to supporting economic growth through small-business development and offering outreach programs to help residents understand the Airport better.
This whitepaper highlights the construction projects, initiatives, programs and events that validate Charlotte Douglas as a premier airport.
Download the whitepaper: 2022 Charlotte Douglas International Airport Report of Achievement.