The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved eight pilot programs that will allow a handful of companies, including Archer Aviation, Beta Technologies, Joby Aviation, and Wisk to start widespread electric aircraft testing as early as this summer.
The three-year program, which will span 26 states, is designed to ensure U.S. companies lead the way in next-gen aircraft used for personal travel, regional transportation, cargo logistics, and emergency medicine, Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in remarks Monday.
The pilot program, known as the Advanced Air Mobility and Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program, was announced last year through an executive order by President Donald Trump in an effort to speed up development of the futuristic aircraft.
Numerous electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) companies have emerged in recent years with promises of launching urban air taxis and other regional electric aircraft. However, getting those aircraft into commercial operation takes years and hundreds of millions of dollars. The FAA must certify any new aircraft, which is a multi-year process.
The pilot program will allow these companies to test their eVTOL aircraft even though they have not received full regulatory certification.
That kind of accelerated timeline could bolster the efforts, and share prices, of many eVTOL companies such as Archer, Beta, and Joby that have gone public in recent years.
Beta Technologies founder and CEO Kyle Clark said being selected for the program will allow the company to start aircraft operations one year earlier than anticipated. The company’s stock price popped nearly 12% Monday. Archer and Joby, which are also publicly traded, saw stock jumps as well.
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Archer compared the eVTOL program to robotaxi testing and said it will help build trust and establish a playbook for safely scaling electric air taxis. The company, which is developing a four-passenger piloted eVTOL called Midnight, said it will also help it prepare for air taxi operations in Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympic Games.
“These partnerships will help us better understand how to safely and efficiently integrate these aircraft into the National Airspace System,” FAA Deputy Administrator Chris Rocheleau said in a prepared statement. “The program will provide valuable operational experience that will inform the standards needed to enable safe Advanced Air Mobility operations. We appreciate the strong interest reflected in the many proposals we received.”
The FAA said it received 30 proposals.
These companies aren’t going it alone, however. The pilot program requires companies to partner with state, local, tribal, or territorial governments.
The projects cover several applications of electric aircraft, including urban air taxis and regional flight. For instance, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have partnered with Archer, Beta, Electra, and Joby to test a dozen operational concepts, including one based out of a Manhattan heliport.
The Texas Department of Transportation will work with Archer, Beta, Joby, and Wisk to test regional flights connecting Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and eventually Houston. That program will include building networks of air taxis that will expand from each city to extend regional reach, according to the DOT.
Some projects have widespread geographic implications.
For instance, a project led by Utah that will test next-generation aircraft and operational concepts across the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountains, and the Plains of Oklahoma will test a wide range of next-generation aircraft and operational concepts. Another project, led by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, will include 13 states to revitalize regional flights across the country.
Other projects are focused on cargo delivery, medical response, and automation. Beta, Elroy Air, and others will test cargo and personnel transportation flights into the Gulf of America and to energy industry locations in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi.
The departments of transportation in Florida, Louisiana, and North Carolina also are leading projects. The city of Albuquerque is working with Reliable Robotics to test autonomous operations.
