Orlando International Airport traces its origins to 1942, when the site southeast of downtown Orlando operated as a military airfield during World War II. It was later redesignated McCoy Air Force Base, named for Colonel Michael Norman Wright McCoy, and served as a Strategic Air Command installation through the Cold War. When the base closed in 1975, the site transitioned to civilian use. The airport received international status and its current name in 1976, though it retained the IATA code MCO, a legacy of its military identity.

The current terminal complex opened in 1981 as a $300 million facility built around a hub-and-spoke layout: a central landside terminal connects to satellite airside buildings via automated people mover trains. Four parallel runways support the full range of aircraft, from regional jets to wide-body long-haul operations. The 1971 opening of Walt Disney World reshaped MCO's growth trajectory for decades. By 2023, the airport handled more than 57 million passengers, ranking 7th in the United States and making it Florida's busiest airport.

In September 2022, MCO opened Terminal C, a $2.8 billion project designed by Fentress Architects after more than five years of construction. The new terminal added 15 gates capable of handling up to 12 million additional passengers annually, introduced fully automated TSA screening lanes, and connected the airport to Brightline's intercity rail service, making MCO the first U.S. airport with a direct high-speed rail link. Southwest Airlines is the airport's largest carrier by passenger volume, while the hub draws international service from Emirates, Aer Lingus, and carriers across the Caribbean, Europe, and Latin America.