Orlando International Airport (MCO) remained the busiest airport in Florida last year, and the seventh-busiest in the nation, according to a new national airport rankings report.
Orlando International Airport welcomed 57,675,573 passengers in 2025, up just under 1 percent from last year, according to the Airports Council International North America, an advocacy organization for airports that releases airport rankings annually.
The Orlando airport ranked just above Miami International Airport in the number of passengers it welcomed in 2025. Orlando International Airport attributed its slight rise in passengers last year — 463,945 more passengers than in 2024 — in part to international travel, citing three new nonstop routes opened from Orlando: Paris, Munich and Madrid.
Overall, Orlando saw a roughly 8 percent increase in its international travelers in 2025 and a slight (0.4 percent) decline in domestic passengers. Nearly 8.5 million passengers traveled to MCO from overseas last year alone.
Lance Lyttle, CEO of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority — a government agency that oversees MCO — said the airport’s 2025 passenger numbers are “reflective of Central Florida’s continued growth and global appeal.”
“They also show why it is important to embrace a strategic vision that focuses on enhancing customer service while addressing critical infrastructure needs,” he added.
Nationally, overall passenger traffic fell by 0.7 percent in 2025, according to the new rankings report, demonstrating that MCO bucked the trend. While international passenger traffic grew by 0.3 percent nationwide, domestic traffic declined by 1 percent.
The top six busiest U.S. airports in 2025, by passenger traffic, were Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Denver International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Orlando International Airport, located in close proximity to the so-called “Happiest Place on Earth,” jumped up to seventh place in 2025 from ninth place in 2024, according to the GOAA. “The airport’s standing as the busiest airport in Florida demonstrates strong demand for the region and reinforces Orlando’s position as a premier destination for visitors, connections, and business investment,” the GOAA said in a news release.
The release of the rankings comes as MCO continues to undergo changes outlined in the GOAA’s strategic plan for the airport, approved last October.
Upcoming projects include added concessions and restaurants — including those operating under locally respected names like Stasio’s Deli, Seito Sushi, Maxine’s on Shine and Otto’s High Dive — as well as parking upgrades, a new baggage handling system for Terminals A and B, additional and upgraded restrooms, and a new car rental lobby for Terminal C.
The airport’s grand strategic plan, dubbed “Elevating MCO,” is expected to cost roughly $6 billion total, with an estimated completion in 2030.
