FDOT Support Brings Florida Closer to Advanced Air Mobility Future

 ORLANDO, Fla. – In support of the State of Florida’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) initiatives and future aerial highway network, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) Board gave airport staff approval to develop a vertistop that will host electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft demonstrations. The action is subject to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval and support from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

The vertistop, a small takeoff and landing pad, will be located at Orlando International Airport’s (MCO) Surface Lot Atlantis near the Train Station. Once developed, the vertistop will support aircraft demonstrations in collaboration with federal and state partners, including the FAA, FDOT, the local air traffic control, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA). The planned development will also provide validation of approach and departure procedures evaluated in high-fidelity airspace simulation assessments.

In March 2026, FDOT was one of eight proposals selected under the FAA’s eVTOL and AAM Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), a three-year initiative to accelerate the safe integration of AAM aircraft into the National Airspace System. The GOAA Board’s action further supports commercializing AAM in Florida.

“It’s exciting to see yet another example of our industry working to establish Florida’s Aerial Highway Network,” said Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared W. Perdue, P.E. “This vertistop will play a key role in the initial phase of Advanced Air Mobility along the I-4 corridor.”

“Today’s action reflects our commitment to preparing Orlando International Airport, and, in turn, airports across our great state, for the future of aviation while keeping safety, collaboration, and the customer experience at the center of every step,” said Lance Lyttle, Chief Executive Officer of GOAA, which manages Orlando International and Orlando Executive Airports. “We are grateful to our partners at the FAA, FDOT, local air traffic control, NASA, NATCA, and the many public- and private-sector stakeholders helping to advance this work.”

The vertistop will be designed in accordance with FAA guidance, including FAA Engineering Brief 105A, as a landing and takeoff site with minimal infrastructure. MCO’s AAM planning efforts aim to avoid disrupting local aviation traffic by developing procedures that can operate independently from the legacy airport operation. MCO’s large landmass and parallel runway separation create the opportunity to explore eVTOL integration near its passenger terminals. All eVTOL aircraft operating near MCO are expected to utilize advanced surveillance and tracking technologies that enhance situational awareness for both pilots and air traffic controllers, further supporting safe and efficient airspace integration.

The development of a vertistop at Surface Lot Atlantis is an important step to validate the location for future eVTOL commercial operations on-airport and is part of GOAA’s vision to develop an on-airport AAM vertiport by 2030.