Orlando Sanford Airport milestone

Wednesday, 30 Sep, 2004 0

The Orlando Sanford International Airport was ranked the fastest growing North American airport for the first six months of 2004, according to Airports Council International.

The facility, not be confused with the Orlando International Airport, was also ranked the 10th fastest growing in the world.

The year-to-date figure of 1,313,971 passengers represents an increase of 70% in total passenger traffic over last year. Domestic flights were up 125%.

The airport has already surpassed its all-time annual record number of passengers with four months left in the year, said Larry Dale, president of the Sanford Airport Authority.

“The month’s passenger growth is especially remarkable considering that our traffic was disrupted for several days by Hurricane Charley in mid-August,” he added.

Some of the popularity of the Sanford airport is its location about halfway between Orlando’s tourist attractions and popular Daytona Beach, which is only about a 45-minute drive.

Parking is more accessible here than in Orlando, and walking distances for passengers also are shorter.

Report by David Wilkening