Orlando Executive Airport leaders consider plan to allow commercial flights

ORLANDO, Fla. — One of Orlando's airport leaders wants to open the Orlando Executive Airport up for commercial flights.

The change could mean travelers could end up catching a flight without driving all the way to Orlando International Airport.

But other airport leaders are concerned noise could keep that plan grounded indefinitely.

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Space is another big concern for the plan, with houses just a few hundred feet from the airport fence.

Planes are up off the runway, over Crystal Lake and then right over the roofs of nearby homes.

Small planes dominate the skies around Orlando Executive, but not even one of the big passenger planes goes in or out.

"Small planes, you know, not too much commotions and not too much noises," said resident Miguel Quiros.

People like Quiros said they moved close to the airport because it was closed to commercial traffic.

Quiros was surprised to hear about the plan 9 Investigates first uncovered in the Airport Authority's internal emails.

Board Treasurer Jason Pirozzolo was contemplating announcing new initiatives, including opening Executive up to commercial traffic. But CEO Phil Brown told him to nix that part out of fear of what he called adverse community reaction.

"It's more, more loud and more constant, you know?" Quiros said.

On the phone Friday, Pirozzolo said he gets it. He's proposing certifying Executive for small passenger planes that only hold 30 seats or less.

"We're not talking about large 737s, 747s, airplanes like that that are very big and noisy," Pirozzolo said.

Pirozzolo explained Orlando Executive is operating on its financial reserves. He wants the airport to be able to collect surcharges on tickets and be eligible for more money from the federal government.

Pirozzolo’s promise to neighbors like Quiros is that it won't be like OIA, where airlines mostly choose their own schedules.

"We would intend to make the community an active stakeholder, and play a role in the approval of these scheduled aircraft that would be coming through Orlando Executive," Pirozzolo said.

Brown said no one from the Airport Authority has done anything about making the switch to scheduled flights at Executive.

No money has been spent on it, and if it does happen, it'll take a long time.

ON #WFTV AT 6: Could the skies over Orlando Executive Airport get louder? An announcement about a new service initiative there was nixed over the potential for angering the community. #9Investigates pic.twitter.com/tscWFE1xxB
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) May 3, 2019