Orlando airport code...MCO or OIA?

[Glennwood]

On my travel itinerary, I am landing at MCO, but I've recently seen it referred to as OIA, for Orlando International Airport. Is this the same airport?

 

[LukenDC]

I was confused about that too. The code for Orlando International Airport is MCO.

 

[DebbieB]

I noticed when we were there in December that they referred to it as OIA on the news.

Edit - Found this in the Orlando Sentinel:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/orl-bk-oia-020105,1,7105531.story

>>>OIA is state's busiest airport

By Todd Pack | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted February 1, 2005, 3:29 PM EST

One of the surest signs yet that Orlando is pulling out of a three-year drop in tourism - a record 31.1 million fliers used Orlando International Airport in 2004.......<<<

I tried putting OIA into USAir's online reservations and it would not accept it. It must be just a local abbreviation rather than an airport code.

 

[dudspizza]

I have only seen "locals" use OIA when speaking of Orlando Int'l Airport. The airport abbreviation is MCO.

Duds

 

[gw_lit]

Many airports have "local" acronymns for the name of their airport, which differ from the official airport code used for booking travel.

Orlando International Airport, local: OIA, official: MCO
Kansas City International, local: KCI, official: MCI
Louisville International, local: LIA, official: SDF

Many of the current commercial airports were originally military bases, so the official name came from the name of that base. OIA was established at McCoy Air Force base, thus the official name "MCO" for Orlando International. Louisville was established at Standiford Field, thus "SDF" for Louisville International.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

It's not a matter of national vs. local. It's a matter of airport designator vs. airport nickname.

The official airport designator code for Orlando International Airport is MCO, for "McCoy." The airport is the former McCoy Air Force Base, which ceased to be a U.S. Air Force base in 1974.

The airport's common nickname is OIA, bacause "Orlando International Airport" is too wordy and MCO is rather meaningless (except for Web ticket purchases and on luggage tags).

You have the same situation in Denver, where Denver International Airport has airport designator code is DEN, but its common nickname is DIA. Chicago-O'Hare International Airport has a designator of ORD (short for Orchard Field or Orchard Depot), but its nickname is O'Hare. For some airports, the designator and the common nickname are the same -- LAX, DFW, and JFK come to mind at once.

 

[safetymom]

OIA is starting to be used by some of the airlines. No worries though since they are both the same airport.

 

[leebee]

My BIL flies for United and he has assured me that the airport in Orlando is still officially MCO for the airline industry. In fact, he's working a flight there right now!