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The advanced air mobility industry has spent years proving that air taxis can fly. The next step is moving beyond isolated demonstrations and into real-world operations.
To help accelerate the transition in the electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) industry, the U.S. Transportation Department and the FAA have launched the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP). As part of that effort, eight startups were selected for eight projects spanning 26 states to test early operational concepts using eVTOL, hybrid-electric and autonomous aircraft. The initiative pairs aircraft developers with state and local governments, operators and infrastructure providers to evaluate operational concepts for passenger transport, cargo logistics, medical services, regional aviation and autonomy.
The eIPP reflects a growing recognition within the FAA and industry that ecosystem development and community buy-in will need to advance in parallel with aircraft certification to lay the groundwork for a successful commercial launch. That means developers need to demonstrate how their vehicles operate within existing infrastructure, interact with air traffic control (ATC) and integrate with local communities.
Companies participating in the program include Ampaire, Archer, Beta Technologies, Electra.aero, Elroy Air, Joby, Reliable Robotics and Wisk Aero. The program is expected to kick off toward midyear and last for at least three years. Projects were awarded to a host of markets, including New York/New Jersey, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah, Louisiana and Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The program builds on earlier FAA initiatives, including the drone-focused Integration Pilot Program (IPP) and its successor, the Beyond program. Backers of the eIPP say it reflects lessons from the rise of Chinese drone manufacturers, which have come to dominate the global consumer market—an outcome they hope to prevent in the emerging advanced air mobility (AAM) sector.
While companies are conducting extensive internal flight testing, those activities typically occur in controlled environments and for limited durations rather than under mission-representative conditions. The eIPP could allow more sustained operations involving airports, infrastructure partners, operators and regulators, assembling the many stakeholders required to launch new aviation services.
Didier Papadopoulos, Joby’s president of aircraft OEM, says the eIPP will provide operational data that cannot be gathered through company flight testing alone.
