Orlando Airport Confirms a MAJOR Change

Orlando International Airport (MCO) is gearing up for some major changes, and things are looking pretty bright for Disney World’s airport.

Electric air taxis could be coming to the airport in the coming years, and the ground vehicles are set to be taken out and replaced with updated systems over the next two years as well. Airside, there will be changes to how you shop for last-minute snacks and airplane reads, and we’ve got all the info!

Hudson Group, which runs the Hudson News stores at airports across the United States, will be closing all of its stores inside the Orlando International Airport, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

The closures are part of a massive overhaul that will bring dozens of new dining and retail options to the airport.

The company notified the state of Florida that it expects to lay off 44 employees when the six Hudson News locations in terminals A and B shut down, sometime in January or early February of next year. You might not realize the name, but they sell books, snacks, and other travel essentials.

Hudson Group operates more than 1,000 stores across North America.

A Hudson company statement said, “The concessions contract is transitioning to a new operator. During this process, we are prioritizing our employees and actively working to connect impacted team members with opportunities with the new operator.”

Airport spokeswoman Angela Starke shared that the Hudson shops in the Orlando Airport will be occupied by new businesses. Construction is expected to start in early 2026 and will reinvent more than 200,000 square feet of space and add more than 40 new stores and restaurants.

Openings will span from next summer through late 2028 in terminals A and B, which are the older facilities at MCO. Phase 1 of the plan includes adding quite a few Central Florida restaurants, including 4Rivers Southern Smokehouse, Black Bean Deli, Otto’s High Dive, Maxine’s, Seito Sushi, SoDough Detroit Pizza, and Stasio’s Italian Deli.

You can expect to see retail brands like Adjectives, The House on Lang, Writer’s Block Bookstore, and Orange Appeal.

We’ll be on the lookout for more updates from the Orlando Airport and beyond. In the meantime, make sure you stay tuned to AllEars for the latest news and more!