Orlando International Airport (MCO) has been named the Overall Winner at the Routes Americas 2026 Awards, in addition to taking top honours in the Over 20 Million Passengers category.
The Florida gateway was one of five winners recognised at the ceremony that celebrates excellence in airport and destination marketing across the Americas.
Other award recipients included Curaçao International Airport, Calgary International Airport, ProColombia and LATAM Airlines Group. The awards, sponsored by Embraer, were presented on March 4 during Routes Americas 2026 in Rio de Janeiro.
Lance Lyttle, CEO of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, which operates Orlando International Airport, said: “It is an honour, and a reflection of our commitment to global air service development, to receive this esteemed award at Routes Americas.
“By collaborating with our tourism partners and other key stakeholders, we are able to launch new routes, strengthen economies and connect people, cultures and possibilities.”
MCO handled 57.7 million passengers in 2025, surpassing 2019 levels by 13%. The airport added 45 new and expanded routes during the year, including five new international markets—Hamilton, Lima, Paris, Munich and Madrid—bringing its network to more than 160 nonstop destinations.
MCO also became the first airport in Florida to announce nonstop charter service to Tokyo, achieving a long-standing goal of direct Asia connectivity.
In the Under 5 Million Passengers category, Curaçao International Airport (CUR) was named the winner after recording its strongest year on record in 2025, with 2.46 million passenger movements—a 17% increase compared with 2024.
The airport’s network spans 22 airline partners and 24 destinations, with traffic supported by Europe, the United States and South America.
Calgary International Airport (YYC) triumphed in the 5–20 Million Passengers category, welcoming a record 19.4 million passengers in 2025.
The result marked three consecutive years of growth and a 5.5% increase over 2019 levels. During the year, YYC launched 15 new routes with four long-standing airline partners, strengthening domestic, transborder and international connectivity.
ProColombia received the Destination Award following the country’s strongest year on record for international air connectivity.
In 2025, 30 international airlines served 31 countries and 60 international destinations through direct services to 11 Colombian cities. International capacity exceeded 14.9 million seats and 78,756 frequencies, representing year-on-year increases of 11.9% and 10.2%, respectively.
LATAM Airlines Group secured the Airline Award after carrying 87.4 million passengers in 2025, up 6.6% year-on-year. Between 2025 and July 2026, the group will have launched more than 30 new domestic and international routes across Brazil, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Argentina. Long-haul growth includes new services from São Paulo to Amsterdam, Brussels and Cape Town.
Finalists in the Airport and Destination categories were reviewed and scored by a panel of airline judges, while the Airline category was evaluated by an editorial panel.
