{"id":432155,"date":"2026-09-10T21:50:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T21:50:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/432155\/"},"modified":"2026-09-10T21:50:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T21:50:12","slug":"txdot-launches-project-nexus-to-prepare-texas-skies-for-future-air-taxis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/432155\/","title":{"rendered":"TxDOT launches Project Nexus to prepare Texas skies for future air taxis"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>FORT WORTH, Texas \u2014 Texas is beginning test flights this fall as part of a statewide effort to prepare for future air-taxi service and other next-generation aviation operations.<\/p>\n<p>The Texas Department of Transportation announced Thursday it is launching the first phase of Project Nexus, a multistate testing program designed to help safely integrate electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, known as eVTOLs, into Texas airspace.<\/p>\n<p>The initial flights will use traditional aircraft, including helicopters and fixed-wing planes, rather than carrying passengers in electric air taxis. <\/p>\n<p>State officials said the tests are intended to collect data, validate potential routes and help develop a framework for future advanced air mobility operations.<\/p>\n<p>The Federal Aviation Administration selected TxDOT\u2019s proposal in March for its Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program. <\/p>\n<p>TxDOT says Project Nexus will involve Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and the Choctaw Nation as officials study how advanced aircraft could operate across urban, rural and interstate airspace. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cProject Nexus is a first-of-its-kind opportunity to gather real-world data, improve safety and build a framework for how electric aircraft could one day connect people, goods and communities across the state,\u201d TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams. <\/p>\n<p>RECOMMENDED: <a href=\"https:\/\/kfoxtv.com\/news\/local\/txdot-road-closures-happening-between-september-7-and-september-13?src=link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TxDOT road closures happening between September 7 and September 13<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The project is expected to unfold in phases over three years. <\/p>\n<p>Later testing will focus on medical and cargo logistics, including the potential transport of critical medical supplies or organs between rural facilities and medical centers in Austin and San Antonio.<\/p>\n<p>The final phase is expected to involve passenger \u201cair taxi\u201d flights across the Texas Triangle, connecting the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Austin, San Antonio and Houston.<\/p>\n<p>TxDOT previously said the federal pilot program could help develop regulations for the safe, broader use of the emerging technology. <\/p>\n<p>The agency describes advanced air mobility as an aviation system that could use electric or hybrid-electric aircraft for passenger travel, cargo delivery and emergency services. <\/p>\n<p>U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and TxDOT officials launched the first phase Thursday at Fort Worth Alliance Airport, where manufacturers and operators also demonstrated aircraft.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/kfoxtv.com\/sign-up\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Sign up<\/a> to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"FORT WORTH, Texas \u2014 Texas is beginning test flights this fall as part of a statewide effort to&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":432156,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[27,29,28],"class_list":["post-432155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-texas","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/432155","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=432155"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/432155\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/432156"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=432155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=432155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=432155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}