ORLANDO, Fla. – Starting in December, Orlando International Airport will begin replacing the trams that move travelers to some of its airline terminals, and the airport is warning people to give themselves extra time when traveling.
The airport announced its Gate Link Replacement Project will begin construction at 11 p.m. Dec. 7 and continue into the fall of 2027.
The airport is replacing the people mover vehicles that connect passengers to the north Terminal A and B gates (Airside 2 and Airside 4).
That includes airlines like Air Canada, Avelo Airlines, Delta, Frontier Airlines, LATAM, Southwest, and Virgin Atlantic.
[WATCH: Planned growth at Orlando International Airport]
The airport will not only replace the trams, it will also upgrade the support infrastructure, including the running surfaces, power distribution and vehicle controls.
The current Bombardier cars will be replaced with new Mitsubishi cars, just like the ones the airport installed for Airsides 1 and 3 in 2017.
The airport says the upgrades will make getting from security checkpoints to flight gates smoother and faster.
However, that does mean that, during the phased upgrade process, there could be some delays.
When crews start work on each airside during the day, only one tram will be kept in operation, as opposed to the usual two. The airport says it should only slow down transportation to the gates by a few minutes, even during the holiday season.
[WATCH: Tram disruption causes major delays at Orlando International Airport from 2017)]
Shuttle buses will also be available if needed, especially overnight.
The airport says travelers should arrive at the airport early for a departing flight, and should also give themselves an extra 30 minutes if they are picking up a rental car or using ground transportation services.
During the Gatelink upgrades for Airsides 1 and 3 in 2017, the airport experienced power outages and other malfunctions that led to travel delays for thousands of passengers.