The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved eight pilot programs that will allow a handful of companies, including Archer Aviation, Beta Technologies, Joby Aviation and Wisk, to begin extensive testing of electric aircraft as early as this summer.
The three-year program, which will span 26 states, is designed to ensure U.S. companies pioneer next-generation aircraft used for personal travel, regional transportation, cargo logistics and emergency medicine, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. he 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 to bring urban air taxis and other regional electric aircraft to market. However, commercial operation of these aircraft requires 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 boost the efforts and stock prices of several eVTOL companies like Archer, Beta and Joby that have gone public in recent years.
Beta Technologies founder and CEO Kyle Clark he said Its selection for the program will allow the company to begin flying the aircraft a year earlier than expected. The company’s share price fell nearly 12% on Monday. Archer and Joby, which are also publicly traded, also saw shares jump.
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Archer compared the eVTOL program to robotaxi trials and said it would help build confidence and create a playbook for the safe scale-up of electric air taxis. The company, which is developing a piloted four-passenger eVTOL called Midnight, said it will also help it prepare for air taxi operations in Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympics.
“These partnerships will help us better understand how to safely and efficiently integrate these aircraft into the National Airspace System,” FAA Acting Administrator Chris Rocheleau said in a prepared statement. “The program will provide valuable operational experience that will inform the standards required 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.
However, these companies are not doing it alone. The pilot program requires companies to partner with state, local, tribal or territorial governments.
The projects cover various electric aircraft applications, including urban air taxis and regional flights. For example, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have partnered with Archer, Beta, Electra and Joby to test a dozen business concepts, including one based on a Manhattan helipad.
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 would include building air taxi networks that would extend from each city to expand regional reach, according to the DOT.
Some projects have far-reaching geographical implications.
For example, a Utah-led project that will test next-generation aircraft and operational concepts in the Pacific Northwest, the Rockies, and the Oklahoma Plains will test a wide range of next-generation aircraft and operational concepts. Another project, led by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, will involve 13 states to revitalize regional flights across the country.
Other projects focus on cargo delivery, medical response and automation. Beta, Elroy Air and others will test cargo and personnel flights to the Gulf Coast and energy industry sites in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi.
Transportation departments in Florida, Louisiana and North Carolina are also top projects. The City of Albuquerque is partnering with Reliable Robotics to test autonomous operations.
