what is mco airport

Orlando International Airport (MCO) is a primary international airport located 6 miles southeast of Downtown Orlando, Florida. In 2021, it had 19,618,838 enplanements, making it the busiest airport in the state and the seventh busiest airport in the United States. The airport code MCO stands for the airports former name, McCoy Air Force Base, a Strategic Air Command (SAC) installation, that was closed in 1975 as part of a general military drawdown following the end of the Vietnam War. MCO is one of the largest commercial airports in terms of land area in the United States, covering 11,605 acres (4,696 ha) . It is also home to a maintenance base for United Airlines and was a hub for Delta Air Lines until 2007. The airport became a U.S. Customs Service Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) in 1978 and was designated as a large hub airport by the FAA in 1979. The airport offers various amenities and services, and it is recommended to arrive three hours before the scheduled departure time.