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Orlando – choice of two international airports

If you are flying to Orlando to visit the theme parks, or perhaps using it as a starting point for a Florida fly-drive, be aware that there are two major airports for the city, and one is better placed for Disney than other theme parks.

Most international charter flights that fly direct from the UK to Orlando arrive at Orlando Sanford International Airport which is further from the theme park attractions than the bigger Orlando International airport.

If you are being met at the airport or hiring a car it is important that you ensure you specify at which airport you will arrive! There’s nothing worse after a flight that lasts in excess of eight hours to walk up to the car rental desk only to find that you are at the wrong place!

Although Orlando is known as the theme park capital of the USA, maybe even the world, it is the nearby town of Kissimmee that is actually home to the parks and all the paraphernalia that goes with them! So, if you are visiting Orlando for the theme park experience and you have a choice of flights you may wish to fly direct to Orlando International, which has an airport code of MCO.

Sanford Airport (airport code: SFB) used to be a military airport but was converted to a civil installation in 1969. However, in the mid-1990s after the completion of a new terminal building, the airport offered significantly reduced landing fees to British airlines to switch their operations from Orlando International.

Although further from the main attractions than Orlando International, the airlines saw it as an incentive that couldn’t be turned down. Therefore, Sanford became the airport that the majority of British tourists arrived at on their way to the theme parks.

Shortly after the British charter carriers agreed to schedule their flights to Orlando direct to Sanford, US domestic and other international operators were also lured by similar incentives, helping establish it as a major airport.

Orlando International airport is located six miles from downtown Orlando and is the 13th busiest airport in the USA, handling around 35 million passengers each year. This airport is the most convenient for those visiting the theme parks and is the destination for scheduled BA flights top Florida from London.

So, when planning your trip to central Florida, do make sure that you are aware of which airport you are flying to, especially if you are travelling independently. Obviously, if you choose to go on a package holiday with transfers provided then you needn’t be overly concerned about which Orlando airport you land at, as your tour operator will take care of you.

Isla Campbell writes on a number of topics on behalf of a digital marketing agency and a variety of clients. As such, this article is to be considered a professional piece with business interests in mind.

Orlando – choice of two international airports / Author: Isla Campbell

As a fan of article content and as a professional working for a digital marketing agency, Isla Campbell hopes you enjoyed her article but urges you to treat it as corporate content with business interests in mind.

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