The original Metrorail line was initially planned to be built to the airport, but due to political pressure and lobbying was instead directed to its current alignment around the airport and to Hialeah.
In May 2009, Miami-Dade County broke ground on the AirportLink project, a 2.4-mile (3.9 km) extension of Metrorail connecting the existing Earlington Heights station to the Miami Intermodal Center (MIC), located adjacent to Miami International Airport's rental car center.
The AirportLink was considered a vital component of the People's Transportation Plan (PTP), which Miami-Dade voters approved in 2002.
The bulk of the funding for the $506 million project came from the plan's half-penny tax, with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) contributing $101.3 million.
Construction commenced in May 2009 and service began on July 28, 2012.

The AirportLink provides a fast, reliable Metrorail connection to MIA for the millions of residents, visitors and employees who travel to and from MIA every year.
With this project, Miami-Dade County has joined the ranks of major metropolitan areas around the world with rapid transit connections to their airports.
With the opening of the extension, a new Orange Line was launched, running concurrently with the Green Line from Dadeland South to Earlington Heights, and then running along the new extension to Miami Intermodal Center (MIC), a centralized transportation hub developed by FDOT that serves Metrobus, Metrorail, Tri-Rail, Greyhound Lines, and is proposed to serve Amtrak's Silver Service in the future.
It also connects with the MIA Mover, an automated people mover which runs directly into the central terminal of the airport.
Miami International Airport has over 35 million annual passengers is the county's largest employer.
The MIC is projected to eventually attract 7,500 daily passengers to Metrorail.
The project was completed on time and under budget.
The original Metrorail line was initially planned to be built to the airport, but due to political pressure and lobbying was instead directed to its current alignment around the airport and to Hialeah. In May 2009, Miami-Dade County broke ground on the AirportLink project, a 2.4-mile (3.9 km) extension of Metrorail connecting the existing Earlington Heights station to the Miami Intermodal Center (MIC), located adjacent to Miami International Airport's rental car center. The AirportLink was considered a vital component of the People's Transportation Plan (PTP), which Miami-Dade voters approved in 2002. The bulk of the funding for the $506 million project came from the plan's half-penny tax, with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) contributing $101.3 million. Construction commenced in May 2009 and service began on July 28, 2012.
The AirportLink provides a fast, reliable Metrorail connection to MIA for the millions of residents, visitors and employees who travel to and from MIA every year. With this project, Miami-Dade County has joined the ranks of major metropolitan areas around the world with rapid transit connections to their airports. With the opening of the extension, a new Orange Line was launched, running concurrently with the Green Line from Dadeland South to Earlington Heights, and then running along the new extension to Miami Intermodal Center (MIC), a centralized transportation hub developed by FDOT that serves Metrobus, Metrorail, Tri-Rail, Greyhound Lines, and is proposed to serve Amtrak's Silver Service in the future. It also connects with the MIA Mover, an automated people mover which runs directly into the central terminal of the airport. Miami International Airport has over 35 million annual passengers is the county's largest employer. The MIC is projected to eventually attract 7,500 daily passengers to Metrorail. The project was completed on time and under budget.
Metrorail (Miami-Dade County)