Orlando International chases high-value airfreight leaking out of Central Florida

Orlando International Airport (MCO) says it is losing high-value, time-critical freight to long-established gateway habits — and it has a plan, anchored by 12,000 ft (3,660 m) runways, a proposed dnata investment and growing belly capacity, to win that cargo back.

The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority argues the leakage is behavioural, not structural. Cargo generated by Central Florida's aerospace, life sciences, advanced manufacturing and technology sectors continues to flow through rival gateways because, in the words of Tod Willman, Assistant Vice President Cargo at MCO, "it's always been done that way."

"The Aviation Authority does not believe the airport is capturing its full share of high-value, time-critical freight moving out of the local economy," Willman said. "While utilising a gateway makes sense in certain supply chains, there is a growing opportunity to retain more of this freight locally."

The commercial pitch to shippers and forwarders rests on three claimed advantages: faster transit times, reduced congestion compared with larger gateway airports, and competitive pricing. Each claim, the airport acknowledges, requires outreach and education across the logistics network to dislodge entrenched routing decisions.

What is driving the cargo opportunity?

Willman frames the opportunity as a function of economic change. "Central Florida's economy has evolved beyond its traditional foundations in agriculture, tourism, and entertainment," he said. "The region is a growing hub for aerospace, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and technology-driven industries, all of which rely on efficient and reliable air cargo services."

He added that multinational companies establishing operations in Central Florida and local universities strengthening research and innovation programmes have expanded the region's global reach. That shift widens MCO's addressable market beyond its traditional cargo profile into commodities where speed, reliability and specialised handling influence routing decisions.

Who is investing, and in what?

The concrete commitments remain early-stage, and MCO's case leans heavily on one private-sector deal. "The proposed investment by dnata demonstrates strong private-sector confidence in Orlando International Airport's long-term cargo potential," Willman said. "Investors recognise that MCO offers the critical foundations needed for sustainable cargo growth, including 12,000 ft (3,660 m) runways capable of accommodating Group VI aircraft, excellent connectivity to Florida's Interstate and Turnpike systems, and a well-established logistics and supply chain network."

Recent investment in temperature-controlled facilities is already in place — a direct response to pharma, perishables and other sensitive products, where cold-chain capacity remains a constraint. Aircraft parking congestion and reliance on mobile fuelling equipment also limit operational flexibility, the airport concedes, and future facilities are being planned with those constraints in view.

The build philosophy is deliberately flexible. "While current demand helps inform immediate requirements, the focus is on building infrastructure that can support the needs of the cargo industry well into 2030 and beyond," Willman said. The airport is avoiding an infrastructure model based solely on today's cargo profile, betting instead that commodities, aircraft types and supply chains will keep changing.

Belly capacity or freighters?

MCO's answer is both. National Airlines is headquartered in Orlando, and the airport's integrator activity provides an established platform for dedicated freighter operations. But the strategy stresses passenger bellyholds, where the majority of global airfreight continues to travel, and the hub's developing international passenger network lets cargo reach destinations without a dedicated freighter service.

"The next layer of growth is expected to come from increased utilisation of available belly capacity on existing passenger flights, particularly as the airport's international network continues to expand," Willman concluded.

Is MCO competing with Melbourne?

Not strictly. MCO does not envisage a hard division of cargo roles with other Central Florida airports, including Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB). Both can accommodate Group VI aircraft such as the Antonov An-124 for specialist project cargo, leaving individual shipment requirements to determine the gateway.

The larger ambition is embeddedness rather than headline tonnage: converting local economic growth into locally handled freight, adding higher-yield commodities to the existing express base, and using international passenger connectivity to extend reach. The dnata proposal and the 2030-horizon facility plans suggest private capital agrees — though until leakage numbers fall, MCO's retention thesis remains a promise, not a result. The test will be whether forwarders rewrite routing guides that, as Willman admits, have resisted change for years.