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MCO begins planning for future air taxi service
Orlando International Airport is moving forward with plans to support electric air taxis, announcing the first phase of an advanced air mobility project that could bring demonstration flights to the airport by the end of the year.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Orlando International Airport is moving forward with plans to support electric air taxis, announcing the first phase of an advanced air mobility project.
The move could bring demonstration flights to the airport by the end of the year.
Local perspective:
Airport officials said development will begin within the next month on a temporary landing area, known as a "vertistop," where electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft will conduct demonstration and simulation flights pending Federal Aviation Administration approval. Commercial passenger service remains years away.
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The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority said Orlando International is expected to become the first commercial airport to sponsor a vertistop as part of the project. The facility will be located near the airport's train station on the South Park Place surface lot.
Officials said Orlando International is one of only two U.S. airports participating in a NASA and FAA-supported airspace simulation program designed to validate procedures for advanced air mobility operations.
The initial phase is intended to test infrastructure and air traffic procedures before commercial operations begin once aircraft receive federal certification. Airport officials said the long-term goal is to develop a full vertiport at Orlando International by 2030.
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The project involves the FAA, NASA, the Florida Department of Transportation and other state and federal partners. Officials said the effort is expected to unfold over several years as regulators work toward integrating air taxis into the national airspace.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority.