Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) Chief Executive Officer Phil Brown has been named 2019 Aviation Professional of the Year by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The announcement was made recently at the opening ceremony of the Florida Airports Council (FAC) annual conference in Fort Lauderdale.
Every year, as part of its Aviation and Spaceports Awards Program, FDOT recognizes an individual for significant contributions and achievements or a continuing commitment to Florida aviation. As CEO, Brown is responsible for the operation and management of both Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Orlando Executive Airport (ORL). During his tenure, he has demonstrated excellence at all selection criteria, including:
Overseeing Orlando International Airport’s $4.2 billion Capital Improvement Program, the largest construction and renovation project in airport history.
Championing Orlando International Airport as a welcoming first and last impression of the nation’s most-visited destination by providing outstanding customer service to all visitors.
Increasing MCO’s passenger traffic from 34.8 million in 2010 to more than 49 million in 2019, making Orlando International Airport the busiest airport in the state of Florida, 10th busiest in the U.S. and 34th busiest in the world.
Committing to make MCO the first U.S. airport to integrate biometric technology into 100 percent of international arrivals and departures.
Brown has been a tireless advocate of expanding global access to Central Florida and has significantly raised Orlando’s stature as a world-class destination. Statistics from the Florida Department of Transportation show that MCO provides $41.1 billion and ORL $622 million in economic impact to the region.
Under Brown’s leadership, Orlando International Airport was ranked by J.D. Power “Highest in Customer Satisfaction for Mega Airports” in 2017 and 2018 and named 2018 Large Airport of the Year by CAPA.
In 2020, the annual FAC Conference & Exhibition will be held in Orlando.
