Many might have assumed that the winter holidays were the peak travel period at Orlando International Airport (MCO), but Spring Break challenged that notion as it anticipated a surge in passenger traffic in the upcoming weeks.
With Spring Break 2024 underway, MCO braced for a remarkable 11 percent rise in passengers compared to the previous record set last year.
Kevin J. Thibault, Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, stated, "We anticipated surpassing our Spring Break record with over 7.6 million passengers. This growth was consistent with the trends observed in 2023, where we saw a record-breaking 57.7 million travelers."
As MCO grappled with a surge in travelers, parking availability became a concern, partly due to an increase in local residents using the airport. To address this, MCO recently introduced three new surface lots.
MCO also introduced a Reserved Parking program, allowing passengers to reserve parking in advance through the MCO website or mobile app, paying online and receiving a QR code for access to Level 4 of Parking Garage C. Initially, the program was limited to Garage C, offering approximately 715 spots on a first-come, first-served basis at a cost of $32 per day.
Moreover, travelers seeking accommodations during this busy period faced challenges, with many Airbnb listings fully booked. As a result, numerous travelers turned to resorts and short-term condo rentals within developments to secure lodging. In the future Everest Place will be able to accommodate these travelers.
The daily passenger record at MCO stood at 98,521, set on December 30th of last year. The Spring Break season spanned 44 days this year, from February 24th to April 8th. This year the daily record was over 200,000!!
If you want to read more about the record breaking week in Orlando, click here: