New statistics have been released for Orlando International Airport (MCO) with updated year-to-date information. The month of October is historically one of the slowest travel months of the year through Orlando’s airport and this year the slowdown was intensified by Hurricane Sandy’s impact to the Carribbean and Northeast. As a result, MCO sustained a 2.2 percent decline in overall traffic for the month.
“October has always been a transitional month for Orlando International Airport. Airlines adjust their seating capacity as we wrap up the traditional peak summer family travel season and prepare for the busy holiday travel months,” says Phil Brown, Executive Director of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. “This year we also had the added challenge of Hurricane Sandy, which impacted seven countries and disrupted air traffic for thousands of travelers.”
The Northeast US is the largest area served by Orlando International accounting for nearly 25 percent of MCO’s daily traffic. Jamaica, The Bahamas, and the Dominican Republic also suffered from Sandy’s devastation and impacted travel.
Year-to-date overall traffic remains steady at Orlando International with only a 0.4 percent reduction over last year with approximately 29.5 million travelers connecting with flights through MCO. Year-to-date international traffic remains strong and is on record pace, up 8.6 percent to 3.1 million travelers. October domestic travel was down 2.2 percent with 2.7 million guests moving through Orlando International Airport for the month.
