WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Federal Aviation Administration has announced that Elroy and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development conducted a hybrid-electric demonstration flight to test cargo deliveries using remotely piloted aircraft at Houma-Terrebonne Airport in Louisiana. This is the first remotely piloted aircraft test flight under the FAA's eVTOL Integration Pilot Program.
This flight is part of a series of demonstrations as the U.S. Department of Transportation works to safely integrate Advanced Air Mobility aircraft into the National Airspace System.
'This demonstration with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development provides data to help turn these concepts from trial to deployment,' said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. 'These test flights demonstrate how these new aircraft can expand cargo delivery options to communities nationwide and improve our logistics infrastructure.'
The Elroy Air Chaparral aircraft, developed by American startup company Elroy Air, is a highly automated hybrid-electric unmanned vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drone designed to carry more than 500 pounds of cargo by air between non-traditional sites.
The eIPP is a first-of-its-kind initiative outlined in President Trump's Unleashing Drone Dominance Executive Order. It creates one of the nation's largest real-world testing environments for next-generation aircraft with the potential to create jobs, connect communities, and strengthen American leadership in aviation.
In March 2026, the Department of Transportation selected eight projects across 26 states to participate in the eIPP. The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is one of the eight participants.
The FAA will use what it learns from these demonstrations to identify gaps, improve procedures, and support the safe integration of advanced air mobility into the National Airspace System. The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and other eIPP participants are planning additional test flights throughout the rest of the year.
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