The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced the next phase of its Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program.
The program will select eight projects across 26 U.S. states to begin early air taxi and next-generation aircraft operations later this year.
The pilot program will test a range of use cases for advanced aircraft, including urban air taxi services, regional passenger flights, cargo logistics, emergency medical missions, and autonomous flight technologies.
Officials stated that this initiative will create one of the largest real-world testing environments for emerging aviation systems as regulators work to develop new safety standards.
Several eVTOL aircraft developers were chosen to participate, including Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, and Beta Technologies. Beta will take part in seven of the eight pilot projects, while Joby was selected for five projects covering 10 states and Archer for three projects.
The government partners for the program include the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Texas Department of Transportation, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and the City of Albuquerque, among others.
The FAA expects operations to begin rolling out this summer as companies gather operational data to support certification and regulatory development for advanced air mobility aircraft.
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