SAN ANTONIO \u2013 The future of air travel could take off from San Antonio in just a few years. <\/p>\n
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) was one of eight agencies selected nationwide by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration for a new air travel program.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s called the \u201cAdvanced Air Mobility and Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program.\u201d<\/p>\n
The initiative focuses on so\u2011called eVTOL Aircraft, which are electric or hybrid vehicles that can take off and land vertically like helicopters. Their uses range from urban air taxis to emergency medical response. <\/p>\n
KSAT spoke exclusively with TxDOT officials about the federal program. The department said Port San Antonio will play a central role in a new federal effort to test and integrate flying taxis and other advanced aircraft into the nation\u2019s airspace. <\/p>\n
\u201cPort San Antonio will serve as a primary innovation hub for that next generation of aviation,\u201d said Sergio Roman, TxDOT\u2019s director of emerging aviation technology. \u201cThey have some good plans that they\u2019ve had for quite a few years about what a vertiport might look like and what routes in and around the San Antonio area. This will enable all of us as a team to try to move that forward and make sure that we can start utilizing those routes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Under the program, TxDOT will work with aircraft manufacturers and partners across Texas \u2014 including at Port San Antonio \u2014 to design, test and eventually deploy the aircraft for several different types of operations. <\/p>\n
The partners included in the announcement are Archer Aviation, BETA Technologies, Joby Aviation and Wisk Aero. <\/p>\n
The flying taxis could carry passengers between different parts of the San Antonio area, as well as regional flights connecting Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and eventually Houston.<\/p>\n
Roman said the project will roll out in three phases over three years, with initial activity set to begin in the next few months.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo within 90 days, we\u2019re going to be doing operations to support Project Nexus and this advanced air mobility initiative,\u201d he said. \u201cThe entire pilot project is set to last three years right now. And that\u2019s why we\u2019re phasing this out over three years and three phases.\u201d<\/p>\n
The first phase will focus on testing routes and the technology needed to safely integrate the new aircraft into Texas\u2019 airspace.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to start testing routes and technology that would be needed to be able to allow these new innovative types of aircraft to operate in the state,\u201d Roman said, in part. \u201cOnce that first phase is completed and we\u2019ve verified the routes, validated the technology and the safety and security of all of it, then we move into our next phase of operations.\u201d<\/p>\n
TxDOT and its partners plan to use eVTOL Aircraft in the second phase for missions such as emergency medical response, cargo and logistic missions and moving supplies between different hubs in cities and rural communities. <\/p>\n
2026 eVTOL image from Beta Company (Copyright 2026 by KSAT – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n
A third and more advanced phase is where San Antonio residents could start to see passenger service.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s when the public can start seeing passenger air taxis, where instead of sitting in traffic for 20 or 40 minutes, you could realize that same trip in maybe six, 10 or 15 minutes,\u201d Roman said. <\/p>\n
He described the aircraft as all\u2011electric or sometimes hybrid, operating similarly to helicopters but in a \u201cmuch more efficient, safer\u201d way with quieter operations and more flexibility.<\/p>\n
Roman said that if testing and development stay on schedule, San Antonio residents and other Texans could be riding in flying taxis by the end of the decade.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf everything goes to plan and we do our job right, by 2029, that should be a reality,\u201d he said. \u201cYou could go to what we call a vertiport and jump on one of these aircraft, and fly on this electric aircraft to your destination, and get off, and there\u2019s your trip.\u201d<\/p>\n
Officials said the broader federal initiative spans 26 states and includes a range of concepts, from urban air taxi services and regional passenger transportation to cargo networks, offshore operations and autonomous flight technologies. <\/p>\n
Supporters say the technology could create new jobs, improve community connection and bolster U.S. leadership in aviation. <\/p>\n
San Antonio is positioned as one of the places where that future could first become visible.<\/p>\n
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