The cost to rent a car at Orlando International Airport is expected to rise with the addition of a $2.50-per-day tax, set to begin as early as this summer, according to the Sentinel.

Board members of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, the agency that runs OIA, voted to adopt the tax to raise money for $102.6 million worth of rental-car upgrades planned at the airport during the next few years, including additional parking spaces, fueling stations and car wash bays. In hopes of making it more palatable to consumers, airport officials said they would eliminate the charge within five to seven years, or once the construction work is paid for.

The "customer facility charge," which would be capped at five days, could add as much as $12.50 to a customer's bill. Airport officials said they expect annual payments from the rental-car companies to grow from $44.5 million to $55 million in the first year of the new contracts.

The Sentinel reports the airport's existing contracts with rental-car companies are set to expire next year, and it wants to solicit bids for new five-year pacts this summer. Officials said they plan to reserve coveted rental-car space inside the main terminal for the largest companies, ensuring those operators won't be outbid and relegated to off-site operations accessible only by shuttle.

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