90.7 WMFE

New ticket lobbies. Faster inter-terminal trains. Stronger security.

These are a few improvements travelers at Orlando International Airport can expect in a few years.

Construction has started on the largest renovation and expansion project in the airport’s history.

Airport executive director Phil Brown said the $1.1 billion project will keep the airport running smoothly, especially as passenger traffic grows.

“We’ve done a lot of preparation and planning and we think that in order to accommodate what we see as the growth of Central Florida, then you’ve got to have this.”

New numbers show that over 3 million people passed through Orlando International on domestic and international flights in January. That’s up 9 percent from the same month last year.

Brown said the project will add jobs.

“It takes a while to put this stuff in the ground, and so you need to start planning, working on it now, particularly if our current growth keeps at the same pace, we’re going to be constrained here, which nobody wants,” he said.

The expansion project is slated to finish in 2017.