Innovative Technologies Enhance the Customer Experience at Orlando International Airport’s Newest Terminal

Orlando International Airport’s South Terminal Complex (STC) creates an unforgettable travel experience. Through a combination of passenger-centered designs and state-of-the-art technology systems and enhancements, the STC is built to improve travel efficiency, uphold passenger safety, and excite the imagination.

The first LEED®v4 airport campus, the complex will make MCO — already a world-class, global gateway to the most-visited destination in the U.S. — also one of the most innovative airports in the nation. The new terminal features dozens of technology systems that both support the building and its functionality, while expediting the passenger process.

Innovation Highlights

  • 100% automated screening lanes in TSA checkpoint.
  • 100% facial recognition for international arrival and departures.
  • A State-of-the-art Radio Frequency Identification Technology (RFID) Tote Baggage Handling System for efficient tracking and expedited luggage collection.
  • Virtual Ramp Control Systems that precisely display aircraft operations on video walls, providing controllers with full, unobstructed visibility of airfield traffic.
  • Large-scale interactive digital media as part of an imaginative visual experience, designed with The Orlando Experience® in mind.
  • One of the first North American airports to install a Passive Optical Network (PON), utilizing fiber-optic technology to create a high-speed, future-proofed, energy-efficient IT system.
  • The first fully integrated, multi-modal airport terminal in the U.S. for rail-air-ground transportation.

“A main goal of our construction of the facility was to develop an enhanced technological infrastructure that meets the demands of today’s traveling public,” said Davin Ruohomaki, Senior Director of Construction & Engineering for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. “This winning technology lets us advance our own systems as we improve the customer experience. This terminal elevates Orlando International Airport’s offerings in terms of passenger engagement and processing capabilities.”

“Experience the thrill of Orlando as soon as you arrive at Terminal C,” said Gregory Spence, Project Manager at Burns Engineering. “Our team was honored to bring to life Greater Orlando Aviation Authority’s vision for a truly extraordinary passenger experience. The result is definitely not your typical airport terminal. State-of-the-art technologies will ease the travelers’ journey, entertaining from start to finish.”

World-Class Passenger Amenities

Radio Frequency Identification Technology (RFID) Tote Baggage Handling System Arriving at Orlando International Airport’s new South Terminal C will be different from most U.S. airports. The unique, top-level experience will immerse passengers in a Florida-friendly environment from gate to curb, including their luggage rising up to meet them. An innovative baggage handling system is taking shape as components are being installed throughout the facility.

The most noticeable elements of the system are the revolving carousels, where arriving passengers retrieve their checked bags. Unlike other airports, the carousels are located on the same level passengers deplane. The key to transporting baggage from the ground level to the top level is a tote system that has more vertical circulation than a traditional conveyor belt system, which is limited by gravity.

Additional benefits of the tote system include:

  • The bag tag is synced to a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip embedded in the tote, providing 100% tracking of the tote and bag
  • Significant reduction in noise from a traditional system
  • System has capability to reroute totes and baggage around areas closed for maintenance
  • System runs at over 99% up time
  • Baggage jams have been virtually eliminated
  • System is augmented by a robotic-controlled Early Bag Storage facility with capacity for approximately 1,800 bags

Dynamic Signage
More than 1,000 high-definition display monitors will guide travelers throughout their Terminal C journey. From the time a passenger first checks in, until the time they board at the gate, a system of dynamic, network-connected displays will provide a constant stream of relevant, targeted messaging. At the ticket counter, displays will seamlessly adjust between airlines, displaying flight information relevant to that hour’s travelers. As passengers move to the TSA check point, the Queue Management System (QMS) will monitor security lines and display expected waiting times and recent security-clearance updates. Upon reaching the terminal, navigational wayfinding signs will direct travelers to terminal amenities and to their relevant gates, while instantaneously updating with emergency information or unexpected gate changes. Displays can show seasonal information such as arrival airport weather forecasts, construction or traffic updates, and Orlando area promotions.

Wayfinding Beacons
Bluetooth wayfinding beacons work in conjunction with wireless access points to provide highly accurate, location-specific guidance. With fine-tuned location information, passengers can more easily discover amenities and find their way toward shops, restaurants, departure gates, ground transportation, and more. The beacons communicate with users’ smart phones, tracking passenger movements to provide detailed, turn-by-turn digital navigation.

Experiential Media Environment (EME)
The “Orlando Experience” is on full display through a series of immersive and engaging video displays. Designed to inspire while enhancing passenger experiences along the departure and arrival journeys, these interactive displays transport travelers to the discovered and undiscovered treasures of Florida. The EME will feature a wide range of creative media and programmable content, including film, audio, computer graphics, and artificial intelligence generated artwork.

The three elements of the EME are:

  • “The Portal” serves as a three-story gateway in the arrival hall with 32 custom curved screens suspended in a helical frame. Synchronized 12K content plays on both the interior and exterior screens, offering 26 capsules (125 minutes) that tell a visual story of the transformation of the Central Florida region, from natural springs and ranchlands, to the dawn of Disney, the launch into space exploration and a bounty of entertainment opportunities.
  • “Windows on Orlando” offers three side-by-side panoramic screens that stand 33 feet high by 100 feet long. Select Central Florida locations were captured in 20 capsules 79 minutes) using a 12K Super 35 HD Black Magic Camera to create stunning cinematographic imagery with 14 stops of dynamic range. Highlights include a rocket launch sequence filmed from the NASA Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center and an afternoon ride under open skies to round up cattle with cowhands at the Deseret Ranch in St. Cloud.
  • The “Moment Vault” in the Airside Hub will engage visitors with imaginative, animated, interactive environments. The 360-degree immersive surround experience offers unprecedented 2mm displays on a 15K digital canvas that places visitors directly within the scenes. Highlights in the 23 capsules (109 minutes) include underwater play in deep blue springs with a school of bioluminescent fish and an excursion to the surface of Mars where red rocks have a life of their own.

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