The Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration have chosen eight projects to take part in the Advanced Air Mobility and Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing, or eVTOL, Integration Pilot Program, an initiative designed to test advanced aircraft operations.
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What Is the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program?
The eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, or eIPP, aims to support the integration of advanced air mobility aircraft into the national airspace, the Transportation Department said Monday. The initiative, outlined in the Unleashing Drone Dominance executive order, seeks to advance testing of emerging aviation technologies and help the FAA develop new regulations to enable these technologies at scale.
“The United States will lead the way, and doing so will cement America’s status as a global leader in transportation innovation. That means more high-paying manufacturing jobs and economic opportunity. By safely testing the deployment of these futuristic air taxis and other AAM vehicles, we can fundamentally improve how the traveling public and products move,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Which Proposals Were Selected for eIPP?
The eight projects pair state and local transportation authorities with industry manufacturers, including Ampaire, Archer, BETA, Electra, Elroy Air, Joby, Reliable Robotics and Wisk. The initiatives cover a range of operational concepts, including urban air taxi services, regional passenger transportation, cargo and logistics networks, emergency medical response operations and autonomous flight technologies.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will test 12 operational concepts across New England, including eVTOL passenger service at the Manhattan heliport, while the Texas Department of Transportation will develop regional air taxi routes connecting Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and potentially Houston. Other efforts include multistate aircraft testing led by Utah, expanded regional flights from Pennsylvania, offshore cargo and personnel transport trials in Louisiana, a statewide cargo and medical response initiative in Florida, medical and autonomous flight operations led by North Carolina and early autonomous flight testing in Albuquerque.
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