Strategy 5 prepared a Market Intelligence Report to inform landside development recommendations for approximately 500 acres of land that have been the subject of development objectives for more than 30 years. The Airport is primarily a general aviation facility and there is no commercial passenger service. Nonetheless, the Airport is busy with private jet and other private aircraft traffic and is considered a critical partner in local / regional economic development potential.
The landside development plan that emerged focused on the creation of a catalyst project that would induce additional synergistic uses. That catalyst project, as recommended by Strategy 5, would capitalize on the rapidly emerging technologies associated with vertical take-off and landing aircraft, or VTOLs. These types of craft include air taxies and are being developed in concert with other Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) projects. These include operational infrastructure such as vertiports, vertistations, charging stations, repair and maintenance facilities.
This type of advanced aviation could increase access to the City of Ocala and nearby attractions such as the World Equestrian Center, which attracts more than 1.5 million visitors each year. Currently, the Orlando International Airport is the closest commercially serving facility, which is located over 100 miles of the south. The proposed VTOL catalyst project could spur advanced manufacturing, research and development, and other future-oriented development.
The Ocala International Airport is well positioned to benefit both from its substantial land holdings, and the advances in aviation and aerospace technologies that are increasing passenger service to more markets.