The Federal Aviation Administration unveiled earlier this month it had launched pilot program testing of air taxis spearheaded by eight government agencies, including right here in Texas. Dubbed the Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program, the projects will advance operations of urban air taxi services, regional passenger transportation options, autonomous flight technologies, energy-sector transportation and cargo and logistic-related efforts, per the announcement.
Here in Texas, the Texas Department of Transportation’s project concentration will focus on regional flights linking Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Houston down the road, expanding air taxi networks within each community. In its own statement, TxDOT shared the project is expected to create new jobs as part of advancing Texas’ aviation industry.
“The future of aviation is taking flight,” TxDOT Emerging Aviation Tech Director Sergio Roman said in a March statement. “This is a first of its kind effort to safely integrate electric aircraft into U.S. airspace and puts Texas squarely in the center of the next generation of aviation as we work to improve safety and connectivity across the state.”
TxDOT officials noted its pilot will launch in multiple phases across the next three years. The first will feature testing sans passengers with helicopters and fixed-in wing planes, while the second phase is slated to hone in on testing with medical and cargo logistics, including flying critical medical supplies and organs to and from rural medical facilities and urban medical centers in Austin and San Antonio. Finally, the third phase will zero in on air taxi flights that include passengers, with a regional network linking the Texas triangle.