Airports in Florida

One of the busiest airports in Florida, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is an important hub for cruise passengers headed to the Everglades, and for connections between the Caribbean and North America.

Second only to Miami International Airport for southern Florida traffic, you’ll find flights to Fort Lauderdale International Airport from cities such as Chicago, New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Cleveland, Boston, Montreal, Port-au-Prince, Cancun, Guatemala City, Nassau and Kingston.

A sprawling structure serving more than 22 million passengers each year, the airport’s four terminals are only accessible by shuttle, but friendly staff members are always on hand to help you get where you need to go.

Facilities and entertainment are adequate and many frequent flyers love its efficient processing times and budget airlines, choosing Fort Lauderdale as a convenient alternative to the bustle of Miami International.

Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) is conveniently located just 9 miles (14km) from central Jacksonville, on Florida’s sunny north Atlantic coast.

The airport is easy to navigate as it consists of one terminal with two concourses (A and C). A third concourse is planned for the airport, but will only be operational after 2013. The airport is also used by the Florida Air National Guard, so keep an eye out for some impressive military jets.

Jacksonville Airport is used by most North American airlines. Many airports across the United States, such as those in Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Baltimore, Chicago, Washington and New York are connected to Jacksonville International Airport.

With loads of shops and eateries, there’s always a lot to do at the airport. Jacksonville International Airport even has an art gallery and live music performances during peak travel seasons. It's the perfect gateway to the sun-kissed beaches of northern Florida.

Situated 8 miles (13km) north-west of downtown Miami, Miami International Airport (MIA) is South Florida’s main airport. Due to a vast number of tourist attractions and sizable local populations, it’s one of the largest hubs in the US and acts as the country's main gateway to Latin America. Having served just fewer than 36 million passengers in 2010, the airport is the 28th busiest in the world, with flights to Miami International Airport coming in from most continents.

Unfortunately, though, the airport has a reputation for being slow and disorganized, especially when it comes to luggage procedures. Passengers in transit often miss flights as they are required to clear immigration before collecting their baggage, after which they must then transfer it to their connecting flight. Moreover, it’s common practice for staff to remove bags from carousels and place them on the floor, leaving passengers to crowd around heaps of luggage and compete for a chance to locate theirs. Signage is lacking and unclear, and many airport personnel speak Spanish only.

However, MIA has a wide variety of eateries, bars and retail outlets to keep layover passengers amused. Musical performers also provide entertainment throughout the airport’s public spaces and numerous wall paintings add colour and vibrancy to the interior of the terminal building.         

A major gateway to the Sunshine State, Orlando International Airport (MCO) is Florida’s second-busiest airport (Miami International is busiest) and the 29^th busiest in the world. It's not to be confused with Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB), which also serves the city but is further from the major attractions of Disney World, SeaWorld and Universal Studios Florida. Orlando International is a mere 6 miles (11km) from the downtown area.

Flights to Orlando International Airport arrive from across the US and the Caribbean, South America and major hubs in Europe.

This spacious airport is easy to navigate, has lots of natural light, features loads of shops and restaurants, and is decorated with masses of leafy pot plants and fountains. Staff members are generally pleasant and helpful, and overall, it's a great introduction to sunny Florida. 

Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) is conveniently located just 3.5 miles (6km) west of Palm Beach, Florida. It’s a really accessible airport as it is just off the Interstate Highway (I-95) and it is close to Boca Raton, Jupiter and a number of surrounding counties.

Passengers using Palm Beach International Airport will find that there’s a fair selection of shopping opportunities ranging from gifts and souvenirs to newspapers and books. Restaurants at the airport range from those serving on-the-go passengers to full-service dining, as well as a couple of bars.

There are loads of domestic flights to Palm Beach International Airport and even a few international flights. The international flights to Palm Beach are generally from the Bahamas and from Canada, but the flights from Canada tend to be seasonal. The airport is serviced by a wide selection of North American airlines as well.

Palm Beach International Airport is a friendly airport that is easy to navigate and security queues are usually quite short. While there aren’t that many passenger amenities, Palm Beach International tends to be a relaxing airport to use and it makes travel a lot less stressful than some of the busier or more crowded airports in Florida.

Tampa International (TPA) is a relatively small airport located in Hillsborough County, Florida, just 7 miles (11km) from Tampa’s city centre. It’s a friendly and attractively designed airport with a great selection of amenities.

The airport has a unique design featuring one landside terminal where all the ticketing, check-ins, customs and security checks take place and then four airside satellite buildings that are connected to the main terminal via automated people movers. The landside building has a great range of food and drink options and each of the satellite terminals has a couple of shopping and eating options as well. There is also duty free, but only in the satellite terminals that handle international flights.

Tampa International Airport is a hub for Gulfstream International Airways. However, Southwest Airlines offers the most flights to Tampa International. There are also a number of non-stop services to various destinations across the United States as well as the UK, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

With its innovative design and friendly service, Tampa is a great airport to use when flying to Florida. From the air the airport almost resembles a wheel with four spokes, and on the ground it’s an easy airport to navigate.