ORLANDO, Fla. — It’s a milestone for a massive project: Orlando International Airport’s Terminal C is nearly 75% complete.

What You Need To Know

  • Terminal C at Orlando International Airport nears completion

  • The new terminal will add 15 new gates and help alleviate passenger traffic

  • Leisure travel is already ticking upwards

​“It gives us the chance to spread the airlines out, the capability to bring more service," said Tom Draper, who serves as the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority's Chief of Operations. “By having the south [terminal] down there, we could use those gates right now. That would help relieve some of the congestion we have right now, and we aren’t even fully back into post-COVID."

The South Terminal will add 15 gates, accommodating up to 20 aircrafts and 10-12 million annual passengers.

And while tourism isn’t back to pre-pandemic levels, economists say travel is returning, which has a ripple effect on the tourism and hospitality market.

“This is the biggest industry in this community. It is not only the biggest direct employer, it’s the biggest in-direct employer," said Dr. Hank Fishkind, president of Fishkind Litigation Services. "And it drives other things, like conventions … they will come back as this recovery progresses on the leisure side.”

According to Fishkind, conventions will take time to return and business travel may take longer.

“Where we’ve seen structural change is business travel," he said. "That may not fully come back for many, many years. But, the leisure travel component in Orlando is much larger. It will overwhelm the slowing caused by that business travel component.”

Yet, leisure travel is ticking upwards, he said, as theme parks continue to revamp and expand their offerings.

“I think we’re going to see those numbers rebound," Fishkind said. “I feel really positive. I think because of the pent up demand for travel, we’re going to see numbers this summer which will rival the peak from two years ago. Those theme parks continue to invest billions of dollars and expect and will get more tourists. Remember, Universal is building a whole new park.”​

Those who love to travel, like Roxanne Graves, are optimistic as well. 

Graves, who is a reverend at a Titusville Church but lives in Orlando, remembers learning about the pandemic and widespread lockdowns. She and her partner were on a catamaran in Belize and quickly hopped on the next flight home to Central Florida.

Since then, she's seen six or seven planned vacations go by the wayside, instead focusing her energies on home improvements, gardening and raising chickens.

But now, Graves is ready to travel again, even if testing and quarantining procedures are cumbersome.

“We’ve both been vaccinated, which I’m very happy about, so we're feeling confident," she said, noting that the couple still plans to travel to Hawaii in July, despite the cruise they planned for their arrival just getting canceled.

Orlando International Airport said that it hopes to open Terminal C by the spring of 2022.