Dyer pushes SunRail–Brightline airport link and touts 'Air Lando' advanced air-mobility ambitions

Mayor Buddy Dyer used the State of the City address to outline transportation priorities that pair rail expansion with emerging air mobility technology.

Dyer said the city is "working to connect SunRail to the airport and expand operations to nights and weekends," and he described ongoing coordination with Brightline and partners such as Universal Orlando to create a 'Sunshine Corridor' regional rail link to Tampa. "This will create a true regional rail network that connects our entire area to our airport and hospitality district and then to Tampa," he said.

Beyond rail, Dyer framed Orlando as a testing and deployment site for advanced air mobility: "We want to be the place where this game changing technology is pioneered, tested, and deployed, and where the companies making it all happen call home." He said the city is preparing for "Air Lando," including flying cars and taxis and drone delivery and inspection operations, and argued the technology could benefit logistics, defense, and public safety.

Dyer positioned these initiatives as economic-development and mobility strategies rather than immediate regulatory changes. He did not propose specific contracts or regulatory approvals during the speech; implementation will depend on partnerships with regional rail operators, private companies, and federal and state agencies.