Central Florida’s airports just scored a serious cash infusion, with a combined $43 million in federal infrastructure grants headed to Orlando International Airport and Kissimmee Gateway Airport, Rep. Darren Soto announced Friday. Orlando International is set to receive $33 million, while Kissimmee picks up $10 million, covering restroom and family-facility upgrades at MCO and a new air traffic control tower in Osceola County.
According to Soto’s office, Orlando’s $33 million award comes through the FAA’s Airport Terminals Program and is earmarked to modernize several public restrooms and improve family amenities. Kissimmee’s $10 million arrives via the Contract Tower Competitive Grant Program. The announcement also notes that this latest Airport Terminals Program award pushes Orlando’s total ATP haul to about $157 million, as reported by WFTV.
FAA Selection Puts Kissimmee Tower On The Board
The FAA’s FY2026 Contract Tower Program recommended selections document lists a $10,000,000 recommended award for Kissimmee Gateway Airport (LOCID ISM) to replace the sponsor owned contract tower. The agency cites the need to fix line of sight issues and bring the tower into ADA compliance. The selection list, dated May 15, 2026, places Kissimmee among airports nationwide chosen for tower replacement or rehab work. FAA.
Local Leaders Say New Tower Is Years In The Making
Shaun Germolus, director of aviation for Kissimmee Gateway, told local reporters the current tower, built in 1997, is outdated and that a higher cab will give controllers better views of both the airfield and ground traffic. He said the roughly $20 million project will still need about $10 million more in funding and that the goal is to break ground in January, with a target opening around 2029. Spectrum/MyNews13.
Where Orlando’s $33 Million Fits
The Airport Terminals Program, created under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, helps airports modernize terminals, improve intermodal connections, and make passenger facilities more accessible. At Orlando International, the latest award is intended to speed up small but high-impact interior upgrades, including restroom modernization, that plug into a broader, phased overhaul of the airport’s older passenger areas. For background on local terminal plans, see reporting on GOAA’s North Terminal program from the Orlando Monitor.
Timeline And Local Impact
Airport officials say the restroom and interior work at Orlando will be phased so travelers are not dealing with construction chaos all at once, while Kissimmee’s tower plan still needs another funding round before shovels hit the dirt. Local aviation stakeholders say the federal dollars ease pressure on airport borrowing and let leaders focus on other long-term capital projects tied to surging tourism and passenger demand. Spectrum/MyNews13.
Officials are pitching the grants as part of a broader effort to keep Central Florida’s travel network from falling behind as visitor numbers rebound. Soto and airport leaders say federal backing for targeted fixes like restroom upgrades and tower replacements helps the region avoid kicking the can on smaller, highly visible projects that travelers notice immediately. WFTV.
