WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and the Federal Aviation Administration have announced that eight proposals were selected as part of the new Advanced Air Mobility and Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), which ams to develop futuristic aircraft.
This first-of-its-kind program, which was outlined in President Trump's Unleashing Drone Dominance Executive Order, is accelerating the safe integration of next-generation Advanced Air Mobility aircraft into the national airspace and ensuring the United States leads the way in aviation innovation.
Together, these pilot projects will create one of the largest real-world testing environments for next-generation aircraft in the world. In addition to offering the American people an exciting window into the future of aviation, data from the pilot projects will be used by the FAA to develop new regulations that safely enable this futuristic technology at scale. The operations begin under this program by summer 2026, according to FAA.
The eight selected projects span 26 states and involve leading aircraft manufacturers, operators, and state partners. They include a range of operational concepts, including Urban air taxi services, Regional passenger transportation (including short Takeoff and Landing aircraft), Cargo and logistics networks, Emergency medical response operations, Autonomous flight technologies and Offshore and energy-sector transportation.
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