The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration released eight proposals this week that were part of its Advanced Air Mobility initiatives.
The proposals were selected to be part of the Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) Integration Pilot Program to integrate next-generation Advanced Mobility aircraft into the national airspace. eVTOLs are futuristic aircraft, the department said, that may generate new jobs, connect communities and strengthen the country’s leadership in aviation.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the pilot projects will create real-world testing environments for next-gen aircraft and offer a view into the future of aviation. Data from the pilot projects will be used to develop new regulations to enable the technologies at scale.
“The future of aviation is here — and it’s going to dramatically improve how people and products move,” Duffy said. “Working together, we will ensure America leads the way in safely leveraging next-gen aircraft to radically redefine personal travel, regional transportation, cargo logistics, emergency medicine, and so much more.”
The eight selected projects span 26 states and involve aircraft manufacturers, operators and state partners. They include a variety of operational concepts, including urban taxi services, regional passenger transportation, cargo and logistics networks, emergency medical response operations, autonomous flight technologies, and offshore and energy-sector transportation.
“These partnerships will help us better understand how to safely and efficiently integrate these aircraft into the National Airspace System,” FAA Deputy Administrator Chris Rocheleau said. “The program will provide valuable operational experience that will inform the standards needed to enable safe Advanced Air Mobility operations. We appreciate the strong interest reflected in the many proposals we received.”
The pilot projects include multiple industry partners working with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on 12 different operational concepts across New England; industry partners working with the Texas Department of Transportation to support regional flights connecting Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Houston with air taxi networks, and four states in the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountains and the Plains of Oklahoman working in concert to test a variety of next-gen aircraft and operational concepts.