Central Florida officials and aviation leaders unveiled new infrastructure at Kissimmee Gateway Airport this week to bring electric air taxi service to the region, with projected Orlando-to-Tampa flight times of about 30 minutes.
The airport installed a “Beta Charge Cube,” a fast-charging station designed to support a new generation of electric aircraft currently undergoing real-world testing.
Kissimmee Director of Aviation Shaun Germolus said the test aircraft completed two 80-mile circuits before returning to be recharged within 50 minutes. He said the technology could eventually connect Orlando and Tampa in roughly half an hour.
Matt Franklin of Signature Aviation said the charging station allows crews to quickly recharge the emerging fleet of electric aircraft between flights.
State Sen. Kristin Arrington, D-Kissimmee, framed the project as part of a broader pattern of transportation investment driving regional growth, pointing to how railroads and highways historically opened new economic opportunities for the communities that built them.
Officials say the initiative, part of the broader push toward what the industry calls “advanced air mobility,” could also generate jobs and attract new businesses to the region as development continues.
The technology remains in the testing phase, with no announced timeline for when passenger service might begin.
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