Orlando Airport Spearheads Innovation with eVTOL Air Taxi Trials
Orlando International Airport (MCO) has successfully completed pioneering simulations in collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration to pave the way for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft operations. This places MCO at the cutting edge of advanced air mobility technology. The comprehensive three-day assessment employed Human-in-the-Loop modeling to evaluate how air taxis could be safely integrated into one of America’s busiest airports.
“This assessment reflects our drive to help lead the next evolution of flight,” stated Lance Lyttle, CEO of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. The simulation, carried out at the FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center in New Jersey, scrutinized potential routes and procedures for eVTOL operations in conjunction with traditional air traffic.
MCO has pinpointed two potential sites for future vertiports – one at the East Airfield and another near the Brightline station. Boasting over 11,000 acres, the airport provides the size and flexibility required for next-generation aviation technologies. The FAA’s new eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, inaugurated in September 2025, could see air taxi services become operational by 2028. This could potentially generate $115 billion annually and create 280,000 jobs by 2035.
Source: https://avweb.com/aviation-news/faa-conducts-orlando-evtol-aam-assessment/