Orlando Executive Airport Maintains Momentum with Strong 2021 Activity
ORLANDO, FL. — General aviation activity at Orlando Executive Airport (ORL) in 2021 showed impressive improvement from the previous year. In fact, in terms of operations, ORL posted its highest statistics since 2007. With the exception of the lightly-impacted pandemic year of 2020, activity at Orlando Executive has been trending upward for the past five years.
Overall, operations at ORL totaled 147,893, which was an improvement of more than 20 percent over 2020. The single busiest month was October with 13,914 operations. More than 4.6 million gallons of aircraft fuel was pumped, a nearly 47 percent increase over the previous year. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents were busy as well. The CBP office oversaw 704 international operations in 2021 as compared to 346 the year before. June was the busiest month with 96 international flights.
“General aviation continues to be an essential component of Central Florida’s economic vitality,” said Judith-Ann Jarrette, Director of General Aviation. “The increasing activity and growing interest at Orlando Executive Airport highlight the role we play in serving the business, leisure, emergency medical and law enforcement aviation needs of our community.”
As the designated reliever airport for Orlando International Airport (MCO), ORL can handle a variety of aircraft from helicopters to single engine planes to the largest corporate jets. By comparison, MCO hosted 27,740 general aviation operations and sold 304,198 gallons of fuel in 2021.
According to the most recent statistics compiled by the Florida Department of Transportation, ORL contributes $622.9 million of total economic impact to the state of Florida.
NBAA Returns to ORL
The 2022 National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention & Exhibition will return to Orlando from October 18-20. Orlando Executive will host the static aircraft display for the 12th time in the last 26 years. The annual NBAA convention is the world’s largest business aviation event that traditionally brings in over 100 aircraft, 25,000 attendees and generates an estimated $49 million of economic impact.