Orlando Airport Wants You To Arrive by Hovercraft

How you get to Orlando could look very different sooner than you may think!

Orlando International Airport, or MCO for short, is becoming a hub of transportation in and out of Orlando and its surrounding cities. Right now, you can fly on dozens of airlines both domestically and internationally with new routes being added all the time. It’s also recently become a preferred option for speed train travelers using the new Brightline tracks to get around Orlando and connecting cities. But, MCO isn’t looking to stop there, they’re on the hunt for a way to help you travel to Orlando by another means of transport and it’s not like anything we’ve seen before.

According to an article in the Orlando Business Journal, MCO is on the search for a developer for a new age of transportation. While we’re used to the usual modes of transport by planes, trains, and automobiles, there’s another way that Orlando International Airport is invested in trying to get its travelers in and out of Orlando.

The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority is reportedly looking for a developer for plans to install a vertiport at MCO. The GOAA has recently begun the search to negotiate for “developers tied to advanced air mobility.” Advanced air mobility in this project would include powered-lift aircraft that can transport cargo or even people by electric vertical takeoff and landing — think along the lines of an air taxi.

Documents previously submitted by officials outline a concept plan for interest in a vertiport to be built and tested at Orlando International Airport. Additionally, the plans outline a Center of Excellence to be used for research and development to help further the technology and science behind using this type of aircraft to transport goods and passengers. While there’s no spot set in stone for where this project would be located, the proposed plans indicate a potential vertiport near the current Brightline train station, while The Center for Excellence is proposed for the airport’s east airfield.

And so far, it seems that several companies have expressed support for a proposed veriport to be tested at MCO. Lilium N.V., a German-based company seemed especially interested in a porposed veriport for Orlando and could see it growing into a network hub for Lilium Jet operators in Central Florida. Sebastien Borel, chief commercial officer at Lilium stated, “Building a vertiport at the major-hub airport will ultimately enhance regional mobility by increasing passenger access and connectivity while allowing multiple operators to use the facility and share in the cost.”

A bill last year (HB 981) would have designated Orlando as a testing site for advanced air mobility and set up the framework to regulate vertiport creation in the state. The proposed bill passed in the Florida House, but the final version of the bill missed the Senate cutoff. Now though, the GOAA looks to short-list a few developers for the project in May, and then begin the second phase of conducting interviews, negotiations, and final rankings ideally by October and November 2025.

The thought of traveling to Disney World or Universal by hovercraft is wild to us and we’re eager to see which developers make the cut and may get the green light to begin working on such an advanced project.

We’re constantly watching for the latest news, updates, and changes that could affect your Disney World, Universal, and Orlando vacations! Stay tuned with us at AllEars so you don’t miss a thing.

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Do you typically fly into Orlando International Airport for your Disney World trips or do you use another way to get to Orlando? Tell us your method and why it works for you in the comments below!

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