As one of Central Florida’s biggest transport hubs, Orlando-Sanford International Airport welcomes theme park goers, cruise ship passengers, business travellers and locals alike. Combined with its flight training facilities, it’s one of the busiest airports in the world.
For most passengers, the airport is simply a gateway to Orlando’s world-class attractions, but for business travellers or passengers with long layovers, nearby suburbs like Sanford, Lake Mary and Altamonte Springs offer plenty of accommodation. While it’s nowhere near as iconic as counterparts like LAX, Orlando-Sanford International Airport has enjoyed its five minutes of fame. In 1992 it was a filming location for Passenger 57, an American action film starring Wesley Snipes.
Orlando-Sanford International Airport is easy to access from both the city centre, in addition to iconic resorts like Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld Orlando. From Downtown Orlando it’s a 25-minute drive, while the theme park district is 40-minutes by car or taxi. Major hotels and resorts offer airport pick-ups, with a handful of car rental agencies also located on-site.
While today Orlando Sanford International Airport is a civic airport, it wasn’t always used for commercial air traffic. It was constructed as a Master Jet Base for carrier-based attack and reconnaissance aircraft and served under the name of Naval Air Station Sanford until 1969.