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Orlando

FL, US
#4 OF 25
LIVE·Data as of May 21, 2026·AIS · Methodology v1.3·Sources: FKB · MCS · OID · RPL · FPIS·Sourced from public records · Override audit trail available
80ADVANCED
How is this scored? · See factor breakdown →Score history →
Dec '25Jan '26
FRIENDLYBURDEN: SEVERESTATE LAWWX PARTIALPILOT PROGRAM1 VERTIPORT
SCORE BREAKDOWN
PILOT PROGRAM
15/15
Lake Nona smart city UAM pilot program active
VERIFIED 2024-10
VERTIPORT
15/15
Lake Nona Vertiport permitted, FDOT-funded feasibility study
VERIFIED 2024-11
OPERATORS
0/15
ZONING
15/15
Orange County vertiport zoning provisions adopted
VERIFIED 2024-08
REGULATORY
10/10
Florida FDOT actively supporting AAM infrastructure
VERIFIED 2024-06
LEGISLATION
20/20
Florida Advanced Air Mobility Act applies statewide
VERIFIED 2024-05
WEATHER
5/10
Major airport weather stations (MCO, SFB) provide regional coverage; no dedicated low-altitude AAM sensing deployed
VERIFIED 2026-03
FACTOR TRENDS
Factor trend analysis is available on Professional.
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REGULATORY LANDSCAPEPosture + Burden · two parallel axes
PostureFRIENDLYScoring · 10pts

Stance — how friendly state and municipal government posture is toward AAM infrastructure. Currently scored as a single weight in the AirIndex 7-factor model.

BurdensevereTracked · not yet scored

FS 330.30(1) + FL Admin Rule 14-60.005(5) requires a 13-document packet for heliport construction approval. Rex Alexander (Five-Alpha LLC, NFPA 418 Chair) documents the full requirement list in public/docs/FDOT Heliport Documentation Requirements List 2026.pdf. Several items duplicate FAA review or other state-level reviews already completed. Result: demanding, over-kill, out-of-date, redundant — significantly increases man-hours and cost vs. peer states.

Burden measures process friction — documents, reviews, public notices, and time-to-approve. A state can be posture-friendly AND burden-heavy simultaneously (e.g., Florida has enacted UAM legislation but requires a 13-document packet for heliport approval). Methodology.
OPERATOR PRESENCE
No specific operator has been catalogued for this market yet.
See pipeline signals for this market →
VERTIPORT INFRASTRUCTURE
Lake Nona VertiportPERMITTED
SITE TYPE
ground
PAD COUNT
2
CHARGING
Yes
PERMIT FILED
2024-11-01
EXPECTED OPEN
2026-09-01
28.3747, -81.2186
AIR CORRIDORS
MCO – Lake NonaPROPOSED
MCO AirportLake Nona
DISTANCE
8 km
FLIGHT TIME
5 min
MAX ALT
800 ft
Short connector from Orlando airport to smart city district.
DETAILS →
KEY MILESTONES
Lake Nona UAM pilot live
MCO vertiport study funded by FDOT
MARKET INTELLIGENCE

Lake Nona smart city district is an active UAM testbed. Tourism corridor (MCO to Disney/Universal) is a natural premium route. FL legislation applies.

ALERT SUBSCRIPTIONS
LAST UPDATED 2026-05-21← BACK TO MARKETS
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