Orlando International Airport has been in growth mode for years.
Like many U.S. airports, MCO has been expanding to keep up with increasing passenger numbers. That expansion reached a major milestone in September 2022 with the opening of Terminal C, and now the airport has taken another step forward by opening four additional gates.
The new gates don’t just add capacity—they’re also allowing another international airline to relocate to MCO’s newest terminal.
The four new MARS (Multiple Aircraft Ramp System) gates — 250 through 254 — open on June 30, 2026. They’re capable of accommodating eight narrow-body gate equivalents or four widebody aircraft. With their availability, Virgin Atlantic will move into Terminal C.
Travelers flying Virgin Atlantic should also make sure they go to Terminal C for check-in, bag drop, arrivals and departures beginning June 30, 2026. Anyone connecting from Terminals A or B should allow extra time to use the Terminal Link people mover.
Virgin Atlantic launched service at MCO in 1992. Today, it operates daily nonstop service from Orlando to London Heathrow and Manchester, with frequencies increasing up to twice daily during peak seasons. The airline also operates seasonal twice-weekly nonstop service between Orlando and Edinburgh.
Its modern customs and immigration facilities have made Terminal C the preferred home for many of MCO’s international airlines. In fact, the vast majority of the airlines that fly into Terminal C are international carriers:
- Aer Lingus
- Aeromexico
- Air France
- Avianca
- Azul
- British Airways
- Caribbean Airlines
- Copa Airlines
- Discover Airlines
- Emirates
- GOL
- Iberia
- Icelandair
- JetBlue
- Norse Atlantic UK
- Porter
- ZIPAIR
Virgin Atlantic should fit in very well.
With the addition of these four gates, Terminal C is one step closer to the vision airport officials outlined when it first opened.
Beyond giving Virgin Atlantic a new home, the extra capacity gives MCO more flexibility as international travel continues to grow and additional airlines look to expand service to Orlando.
And while four gates may not sound like a huge expansion, they represent another piece of a much larger project that’s gradually reshaping how one of America’s busiest airports handles both domestic and international passengers.
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.
Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
