Airport Updates: Latest News On The Global Market (W/C Sept. 15, 2025)

The latest news on airports globally, with updates on financing, infrastructure expansion and sustainability initiatives.

Orlando International Airport (MCO) completed an assessment with the FAA on potential electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) air taxi operations at the airport. Airlines envision utilizing eVTOLs to transport passengers to and from airports. A three-day simulation explored potential routes and procedures. Air traffic control specialists and MCO officials participated in the simulation at the FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center in New Jersey. “This assessment reflects our drive to help lead the next evolution of flight,” MCO CEO Lance Lyttle said. In November 2024, MCO conducted a two-day tabletop exercise on integrating eVTOLs at the airport. MCO has identified two potential airport sites for air taxi vertiports. “With more than 11,000 acres, Orlando International offers the size and flexibility to be a proving ground for next-generation aviation technologies,” MCO said.

London Gatwick Airport (LGW) said more than half of passengers between the ages of 16 and 24 are arriving at the airport by train. The airport noted that passengers can arrive by rail from more than 120 stations without having to make a transfer, while “hundreds more [stations are] within just one change.” LGW said up to 19 trains per hour, including the Gatwick Express, leave the airport’s on-site station with services to London. According to data gathered by LGW, 53% of passengers between the ages of 16 and 24 took trains to the airport to catch flights in the 2025 first quarter, up from 47% in the 2024 first quarter. Overall, 44% of total passengers traveled to Gatwick by train in the 2025 first quarter. “As well as services connecting to central London in just 30 min., passengers can also directly reach places including Brighton, Cambridge and Reading,” LGW said.

Ronneby Airport (RNB) in Sweden named Pontus Tagesson its new manager. He will assume the top spot at the airport on Nov. 3, succeeding Arri Kallonen. Tagesson will leave his current position as director of planning for energy company NKT Karlskrona. RNB is served by SAS Scandinavian Airlines, which operates multiple flights a day to its Stockholm Arlanda hub.

Riga Airport (RIX) in Latvia said it will fully offset direct emissions—those produced by non-aircraft airport operations—by 2035. “Riga Airport is phasing out fossil fuels, such as diesel and natural gas in [ground] transport and building heating, replacing them with sustainable solutions like solar energy, electric vehicles and enhanced energy efficiency,” RIX said. The airport added it is also “assessing and managing indirect emissions, including those from aircraft and supplier transport using airport infrastructure.”

Boise Airport (BOI) in Idaho awarded Hensel Phelps a $700 million contract to be the construction manager and general contractor for expansion projects planned through 2029. Projects include adding 10 new gates; a new baggage handling system; a central utility plant for heating, cooling and electrical needs; and “enhancements to improve passenger flow and increase capacity.” BOI handled nearly 5 million passengers in 2024. It is served by nine airlines flying to 26 nonstop destinations.

A £160 million ($217 million) funding package has been approved to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA), England, which has been closed since November 2022. The decision, made at a meeting of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority board, adds to the £16 million already committed and sets in motion plans to restore commercial air services to the region. Limited cargo and passenger activity could resume in winter 2027, with full passenger operations anticipated by summer 2028. “The plan we have backed today is about more than holiday flights or passenger numbers, it's a long-term commitment to drive jobs, growth and opportunities in sustainable aviation, advanced manufacturing, freight and even the defence sector,” South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard says.