Orlando International Airport is preparing for eVTOLs, offering a futuristic mode of travel

Flying vehicles would possibly seem to be one thing from a cartoon, but Orlando International Airport is preparing for superior air mobility, a futuristic manner of travel that might grow to be half of daily life in Central Florida.

For practically 25 years, Brad Friel has performed a key position in developing Orlando’s airport. Now, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority Senior Vice President is focusing on what could possibly be the next major step in transportation.

“Advanced Air Mobility, or as a lot of people in the community know them as the flying cars or the Jetsons,” Friel said.

The technology focuses on eVTOLs, which stand for electric vertical takeoff and touchdown plane. These plane work like air taxis, taking off like helicopters and transporting passengers over short distances.

“If you have a love of flying, and you don’t have an aversion to being in the air, and you want to try to get from point A to point B without being on I-4, this may be your opportunity,” Friel said.

The Federal Aviation Administration is still certifying the plane and finalizing security requirements. If all goes as deliberate, the first automobiles could possibly be cleared for takeoff as early as next yr.

Airport leaders say they’re already preparing. Air site visitors control crews from MCO lately returned from FAA training in New Jersey. “Using the digital twin of our airport, they actually processed commercial aircraft in and out, as well as how to integrate in advanced air mobility,” Friel said.

When requested about security issues due to the ongoing air site visitors control shortages across the nation, Friel responded straight.

“We’ve seen, obviously, air traffic control shortages across the country, close calls. Is it safe to introduce another vehicle in that airspace?” reporter Alexa Lorenzo requested.

“Yeah, it is, and that’s really the whole exercise they’re going through,” Friel said.

Now, the airport is working on areas where electric air taxis might take off and land. Two potential websites have already been recognized: one close to the Brightline prepare station and another at East Airfield by Narcoossee Road and State Road 528.

Over time, Friel said, Central Florida leaders will need to construct a bigger community of “vertiports.”

“Just because they could take off from the land of the airport, they have to go somewhere. And so we see use cases with everything from Port Canaveral to our theme parks and to other communities,” Friel said.

It would possibly still be a few years before passengers start boarding these futuristic automobiles. However, if the FAA approves, Orlando might grow to be one of the first airports in the nation to introduce superior air mobility.

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