Oct 13, 2026
Retired? That's One Word For IT
After decades of use and millions of passengers, Orlando International Airport is exploring what could come next for some of its most beloved vehicles
ORLANDO, Fla. – They’ve traveled millions of miles without ever leaving Orlando International Airport (MCO). They’ve carried millions of passengers. They’ve been photographed, filmed, ridden, remembered, and apparently, very much wanted.
Now, as MCO’s long-time Gate Link vehicles begin heading into retirement, there’s just one question:
What exactly do you do with a retired train that everybody seems to want?
Our airport fans may have a few ideas.
If you could give a retired MCO Gate Link, or a piece of one, a second life, what would you do with it?
Go ahead, tell us here (Google Form). We’re listening.
MCO recently celebrated the launch of upgraded Gate Link service to Gates 100-129, a major milestone in the airport’s $253 million Gate Link Replacement Project. The investment will ultimately replace four aging Gate Link trains and their supporting systems with a new generation of vehicles and infrastructure designed to provide a smoother, more dependable passenger experience between Terminals A&B and Gates 70-129.
Video: See inside the new Gate Link cars by visiting our YouTube channel.
While plenty of attention has been focused on what’s arriving, the community has made one thing abundantly clear: don’t forget about what’s leaving.
Social media comments, messages, phones calls, and conversations have shown no shortage of interest in MCO’s retiring Gate Links.
Some people want a piece of one.
Some want an entire car to put on display in their backyard.
Others have offered imaginative and creative ideas for giving the vehicles a second life.
We’ve seen them. We’ve heard you, and yes – we’re thinking about it.
After decades of service, MCO believes these vehicles deserve more than an unceremonious final trip into the sunset. Orlando International Airport is exploring opportunities to preserve, repurpose, and reimagine elements of the retiring Gate Links, potentially giving pieces of MCO history an entirely new destination.
What exactly does that mean?
Nice try.
For now, we’re keeping a few things behind the platform screen doors, but as planning continues, MCO wants the community that has ridden, photographed, and embraced these Gate Link vehicles over the years to join the conversation.
Make it practical, make it nostalgic, make it completely ridiculous. We want to hear it, because after carrying millions of travelers on the first or last few minutes of their Orlando journeys, these Gate Links have earned their place in MCO history.
About Greater Orlando Aviation Authority
The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority is proud to operate Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Orlando Executive Airport (ORL), two of Florida’s premier air travel gateways. MCO is a world-class global connector, serving nearly 58 million annual passengers across its three terminals, A, B and C. Connected to an Intermodal Terminal Facility that offers high-speed passenger rail service, Terminal C is an inventive structure that elevates the customer experience with 100% automated screening lanes at TSA checkpoints. ORL is conveniently located just miles from downtown Orlando and provides vital general aviation access to the heart of the region.
For more information, please contact the Office of Public Affairs at the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority at 407-825-2055 or email us at MCOPIO@goaa.org for further assistance.