Vicki Jaramillo, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer at Orlando International Airport, speaks to Routes about how important perseverance is within the industry and what it means to be named the winner of the Individual Leadership category of the 2023 Routes Awards.

With decades of experience within the industry, Jaramillo is recognized for securing multiple carriers into Orlando and continues to bring immense value to the airport, her team, and the market.

Having previously held the position of Chairwoman at Experience Kissimmee, Jaramillo highlights the importance of working with tourism authorities to secure meaningful partner relationships, using Visit Orlando as an example for their continuous success to provide marketing support to carriers.

Factoring in this collaborative approach has seen Orlando International Airport (MCO) surpass growth expectations, having beaten the 2019 passenger count reaching 55.5 million in the last 12 months. Growth is predominantly attributed to the domestic market, encompassing 103 destinations compared to 90 before the pandemic. Recent international routes include Porter Airlines becoming the latest carrier to offer daily flights from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW).

Jaramillo says the airport is looking to expand further in the domestic and short-haul markets such as Mexico, the Caribbean, and Columbia. In the longer term. MCO is looking towards Asia, particularly the Philippines, and is in need of more transatlantic service to Europe.

She adds that MCO aims to communicate its attractiveness to prospective carriers: “Our rates and charges are very competitive, only 35% of our revenue comes from airlines. We’re trying to keep the rates and charges competitive to bring in more service.”

As the winner of the Individual Leadership category at the Routes Awards 2023, Jaramillo expresses her gratitude to her established network: “Air service has been a passion for me. One thing that amazed me was that in some of the testimonials, they mentioned that passion and perseverance. It was beautiful to be recognised by the judges, but also others in the industry.”