Orlando International Airport (MCO) climbed two spots in the latest national rankings for busiest airports, moving from 9th place in 2024 to 7th in 2025. The new figures come from Airports Council International North America’s (ACI-NA) annual traffic report, which tracks passenger volume across the busiest airports in the United States and Canada. MCO also remains the busiest airport in Florida and now ranks as the 25th busiest airport in the world. The jump comes as MCO continues to expand its international footprint with new nonstop routes to Europe. Here’s a closer look.
MCO Passenger Numbers Grow in 2025 Rankings Report
IN THIS ARTICLE:
MCO moved from 9th to 7th busiest airport in the country, per ACI-NA’s 2025 rankings
New nonstop routes to Munich, Madrid, and Paris contributed to the airport’s passenger growth
GOAA’s “Vision Forward” plan outlines infrastructure upgrades for MCO and ORL through 2030
A Closer Look at MCO’s Growth in 2025
ACI-NA’s 2025 report shows Orlando International served 57,675,573 passengers last year. That is up slightly from 57,211,628 in 2024, a 0.8 percent increase. Passenger traffic across North American airports as a whole actually declined 0.7 percent from 2024. MCO’s increase moved it into the 7th spot nationally. The airport now sits behind only Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago O’Hare, Denver, Los Angeles, and John F. Kennedy International in New York.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport remained the busiest airport in North America and the world in 2025. Atlanta served 106.3 million passengers, despite a 1.6 percent decrease from 2024. MCO’s growth stands out against that backdrop. Several airports higher on the list saw passenger counts fall year over year.
MCO pointed to international travel as a major contributor to the increase. Three new transatlantic nonstop routes launched from Orlando during the period covered by the report. Those routes connected the airport directly to Munich, Madrid, and Paris for the first time. As we reported when MCO celebrated its first-ever nonstop passenger flight between Tokyo and Orlando, the airport has been steadily building out its international route map.
What’s Next for MCO
Lance Lyttle, CEO of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA), which manages MCO, tied the ranking increase to the broader growth of Central Florida as a destination. “These numbers are reflective of Central Florida’s continued growth and global appeal,” Lyttle said. “They also show why it is important to embrace a strategic vision that focuses on enhancing customer service while addressing critical infrastructure needs.”
The GOAA Board approved a refined strategic vision for MCO and Orlando Executive Airport (ORL) back in October 2025. Airport officials are calling the plan “Elevating MCO & ORL: The Vision Forward.” It’s meant to guide upgrades across both airports in the coming years. Those upgrades include a new baggage handling system for Terminals A and B, thousands of additional parking spaces, and renovated restrooms in the terminals, all targeted for completion by 2030. GOAA also expects to finalize a plan for moving passengers through Terminal C’s post-security area sometime during the current fiscal year.
Those upgrades come as MCO leans into its standing as Florida’s busiest airport. The goal is to support continued tourism and business growth in the region. MCO also works with regional partners like Visit Orlando and Experience Kissimmee. Those partnerships are meant to help sustain air service growth going forward.
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