Orlando International Airport (MCO) launched upgraded tram service to Gates 100-129 on Thursday, October 1st, putting new vehicles and modernized infrastructure into service on the first upgraded Gate Link track. The launch is the first major service milestone in the $253 million Gate Link Replacement Project, part of MCO’s $6.9 billion Capital Improvement Program. Crews are now upgrading the second track serving Gates 100-129 while the newly finished track carries passengers.
Upgraded Gate Link Service at Orlando International Airport
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- What changed on the first upgraded Gate Link track serving Gates 100-129.
- MCO’s phase-by-phase schedule for the full $253 million project.
- What travelers should know while the work continues.
MCO is the airport where many Walt Disney World vacations begin and end, and the Gate Link trams connect passengers from the main concourse to the gates. The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, which operates MCO, says the new service gives passengers on Gates 100-129 a smoother connection. One of two tracks serving those gates is done, and crews are already working on the second.
Passengers on the first upgraded track now experience new vehicles on modernized infrastructure. Each new set of cars can carry up to 240 passengers. MCO says the changes bring a smoother, more reliable ride to a connection that is central to the journey through the airport. Crews installed three new Gate Link trams on February 27th, and MCO has been testing them since.
Gates 100-129 sit on Airside 2, where the original Gate Link system went in during 2000. Airside 4 serves Gates 70-99, and its system dates back to 1990, with vehicles replaced in 2008. Both run as dual-lane shuttles with guideways of about 2,000 feet per lane. A trip takes 1 minute, 30 seconds, with a 40-second dwell time at each station.
Lance Lyttle, Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, says the milestone brings the airport’s vision to life. He describes the result as “a smoother, more dependable experience for passengers.” The $253 million project includes:
- New running surfaces
- Power distribution equipment
- Vehicle controls
- Communications and operating systems
- Platform screen doors
MCO lists added reliability, more capacity for growing passenger demand, modern safety controls, and energy-efficient technology as the main benefits.
Project Schedule and Phases
The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority board approved funding for the project in October 2023, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc. holds the design, build, operate, and maintain contract. Earlier, a 2017 replacement covered the Gate Link systems serving Gates 1-29 on Airside 1 and Gates 30-59 on Airside 3. MCO calls that project the first major upgrade since the original system went in 35 years earlier.
MCO’s project page splits the current work into four phases, one for each track, running from winter 2025 to late 2027:
- Gate Link 4800 (Gates 100-129): December 3, 2025 to July 2026
- Gate Link 4700 (Gates 100-129): July 2026 to December 2026
- Gate Link 4600 (Gates 70-99): December 2026 to June 2027
- Gate Link 4500 (Gates 70-99): June 2027 to October 2027
Once crews finish the second Gates 100-129 track, they will replace and upgrade both tracks, their trams, and the supporting systems at Gates 70-99. Those dates come from MCO’s project page and could change as work progresses.
What Travelers Should Know
MCO says travelers will notice “only a few extra minutes” in their journey, even during peak periods. One Gate Link stays in operation during daytime hours unless an issue requires a full closure. Shuttle buses may carry passengers overnight and during maintenance windows.
Two ADA-accessible shuttle buses run around the clock between the gate areas. Typical waits run 1-2 minutes, and the trip between Gates 70-99 and Gates 100-129 takes less than 5 minutes. The airport says it works to keep travel parties together, holding a group for the next bus when capacity requires it.
Travelers picking up rental cars or using ground transportation should allow an additional 30 minutes. MCO has added guest service ambassadors and wayfinding signage throughout the terminals, and Guest Relations is available for questions at 407-825-3177. We’ll keep following the Gate Link project as each phase moves forward.
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