OIA announces opening date for new South Terminal C

ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando International Airport CEO Kevin Thibault announced the opening day for the long awaited South Terminal C at a board meeting Wednesday.

According to a tweet, the new terminal’s opening period will last around two weeks beginning Sept. 19.

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“Although we could open before Labor Day, it is best that we transition airline operations and our customers at a period with less passenger travel than our normal peak summer season,” Thibault said.

The terminal will mainly board JetBlue planes across 15 gates, airport officials said.

In a first look at the new terminal, News 6 found the $2.75 billion terminal will rely heavily on the latest technology, including a giant interactive LED wall and automated screening which will help save passengers’ time.

At the TSA checkpoint, the baggage bins will always be moving, connected by a continuous conveyor belt to avoid bin pileups.

The 15 new gates will be equipped with boarding pass readers and even facial recognition to speed up boarding.

According to airport officials, every single piece of checked luggage will be shuttled in its own yellow bin, tagged with a tracker so passengers can drop off their luggage early and airlines can tell them exactly where their bag is at any moment.

“Going ‘Beyond The Orlando Experience’ has always been our goal for this facility and we’re confident that when it opens, it will exceed those expectations,” said Carson Good, Board Chairman of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority.

Airport officials said Terminal C will be able to handle up to 12 million passengers per year when it opens.

The terminal was originally projected for a 2021 completion, but officials said a number of factors led to a change in date, including the pandemic.