"Orlando, Fla., Airport Presents $3.3 Billion Spending Plan for Consideration"

Monday, March 22, 2004

Orlando, Fla., Airport Presents $3.3 Billion Spending Plan for Consideration
The Orlando (FL) Sentinel


Preliminary plans call for spending $3.3 billion over the next 15 years on
everything from a new terminal to parking lots at Orlando International
Airport.

Bill Jennings, executive director of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority,
said the plan presented at last week's authority board meeting is only an
outline.

If it is approved by the airport's primary carriers, officials will bring
each project before the board for funding as the need arises, Jennings said.

"It's all demand driven," he said. "We won't build it unless we absolutely
need it."

Plans call for spending $2.4 billion over 15 years on terminal projects,
including a new terminal building south of the existing one.

Officials won't speculate on when construction will begin on the south
terminal.

Before a lazy economy and 9-11 combined to keep travelers on the ground and
close to home, Orange County's airport board thought it would need a new
terminal by 2005.

Passenger traffic reached 27.3 million in 2003 -- up from the year before
but below the record 31 million passengers who passed through the airport in
2000.

The existing terminal can handle 36 million to 38 million passengers a year.

Until work begins on the south terminal, officials will concentrate on
expanding and refurbishing the airport's four existing satellite terminals.

Jennings said JetBlue has said it would take three of six additional gates
planned for Airside 2.

If approved, the expansion could open in late 2005.

Besides those projects, the airport's proposed capital plan calls for:

--$400 million for runway improvements.

--$235 million for road and parking projects.

--$125 million for smaller projects such as service road extensions and
upkeep.


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