This is where Orlando is now. I have to imagine SK et al are thinking about what Orlando looks like in 10-30 years from now. The 3rd largest university in America, massive population growth across the entire I-4 corridor (wink wink TPA co-base), and the largest hospital in America. I want to move there, so maybe I'm biased, but this is a very different Orlando from even 10 years ago.

I can't imagine a scenario in which Orlando does not see the kind of high-income business traffic that makes a IAH/DEN/PHX/SLC viable as a hub (NYC/LAX/ORD/SFO, it is not... for sure). And it's a chance to hit AA in FL. And it's the most logical UA foothold in the Southeast. Compounded with the desire to get ahead of DAL and the international carriers who are already making moves in MCO/TPA...

But they already know all of this, which is why they are starting with the pilot base and massive MRO. As soon as they've maximized new delivery demand in the existing hubs, MCO is the obvious choice. Maybe even sooner if they buy JetBlue and get those shiny new C gates...

 

Apparently, UA will be in Term C starting fiscal year 2026-2027 and showing JB moved out. This is per the revenue projection by GOAA. Let’s see if it holds true lol

 

BA, Virgin, GOL, Emirates, Copa, Azul and many others fly into MCO. DL does MCO-AMS on a 330. Maybe HR too (could be wrong on this one)? The demand is definitely there. Some of these carriers are our code share partners. I believe that UA is focusing on polishing their hubs before expanding MCO. Any new 787 deliveries go straight to the hubs. Hopefully in 2027, we’ll turn a corner with deliveries and we start expanding MCO/TPA.

 

Let me help you out here...

Orlando is a trailer park in a swamp, except for Winter Park. Ain't no high end anything coming to that place lol.

The big ballers in the business world that want to be in FL are all about the Miami to WPB corridor.

 

Buddy Dyer is that you?


At the risk of sounding totally misinformed:
aaaa What is the name of this 3rd largest university in America that apparently calls Orlando home?

 

it’s linked in his reply. Univ of Central Florida.

 

This is completely false.

Yes, UCF is becoming a major research university. A ton of tech and defense firms have offices in Orlando including Boeing, Lockheed, Siemens, etc. There is also NASA and SpaceX and ULA and everything that goes along with it. Orlando is one of the biggest tech towns in the US (lots of simulation and training stuff for the military too) but that fact gets overshadowed because of the theme parks. And medical research is quickly becoming a thing here too.

 

It's been that way for decades. It really hasn't changed the nature of travel to/from Orlando, though.

 

Tourism will probably always overshadow everything else, but I’ve noticed a considerable amount of pax who return to Orlando from vacation or is coming in to visit family. Orlando has also expanded significantly beyond the theme parks

 

Disney is becoming a smaller and smaller part of Florida's future. Looking backward is easy but rarely usefull. The state is a giant wealth and population magnet. This wont change anytime soon. Orlando will be someones hub by the end of this decade. American owns Miami, Delta is obviously moving on Tampa. Really pretty certian Uniteds management, which is probably is best in decades, will be establishing a hub in the state at some point. Too many people moving in, too many companies moving in, too much cash sloshing around, it will happen.