Officials in Miami-Dade County have raised the possibility of building a second major commercial airport to accommodate increasing traffic.
According to WPLG-TV, a recent report from the county’s mayor found that Miami International Airport is operating at 80% capacity and nearing the threshold where the FAA normally recommends adding more infrastructure and space for takeoffs and landings.
The county’s commissioners are reportedly looking at three potential options to relieve Miami International – expanding Miami Executive Airport or Miami Homestead General Aviation Airport into a major commercial airport, or building an entirely new airport somewhere else in the county.
“Capacity challenges could impact growth, create travel delays, and affect our competitiveness,” Miami-Dade Commission Chair Anthony Rodriguez told WPLG. “We have to act now and plan ahead.”
It would take 12 to 15 years to expand either of the existing airports and more than 20 years to build a new one, the station reported.
According to OAG, Miami International was the tenth-busiest airport in the U.S. last year, with about 32.8 million seats. It is the second-busiest airport in Florida, behind Orlando, and the fifth-busiest airport in the South.
Miami is a major gateway for flights to and from the Caribbean and South America, especially for American Airlines, its largest passenger carrier.
