The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved eight test programs that will allow a handful of companies, including Archer Aviation, Beta Technologies, Joby Aviation and Wisk, to begin extensive electric aircraft testing as early as this summer.
The three-year program, which spans 26 states, is designed to help U.S. companies lead the way in next-generation aircraft used for personal travel, regional transportation, cargo logistics and emergency medical services, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in remarks Monday.
The pilot program, known as the Advanced Air Mobility and Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integrated Pilot Program, was announced last year through President Donald Trump’s executive order to accelerate the development of future aircraft.
In recent years, a number of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) companies have emerged promising to launch urban air taxis and other regional electric aircraft. However, it will take years and hundreds of millions of dollars to bring these aircraft into commercial operation. The FAA must certify new aircraft, a multi-year process.
This pilot program will allow these companies to test their eVTOL aircraft without having to receive full regulatory certification.
Such an accelerated schedule could boost the efforts and stock prices of many eVTOL companies that have gone public in recent years, including Archer, Beta, and Joby.
Beta Technologies founder and CEO Kyle Clark said being selected for the program will allow the company to begin operating the aircraft a year earlier than expected. The company’s stock price soared nearly 12% on Monday. Share prices of Archer and Joby, which are also publicly traded, also rose.
tech crunch event
San Francisco, California
|
October 13-15, 2026
Archer compared the eVTOL program to robotaxi testing, saying it will help build trust and establish a strategy to safely scale electric air taxis. The company, which is developing a four-seat piloted eVTOL called Midnight, said it will also help 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 Deputy Administrator Chris Rochereau said in a prepared statement. “This program provides valuable operational experience that will inform the standards required to enable the safe operation of Advanced Air Mobility. We appreciate the strong interest reflected in the many proposals we received.”
The FAA announced it had received 30 proposals.
However, these companies do not operate alone. This pilot program requires companies to partner with state, local, tribal, or territorial governments.
The project covers several applications for electric aircraft, including urban air taxis and regional aviation. For example, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey partnered with Archer, Beta, Electra, and Joby to test more than a dozen operational concepts, including one based at a helipad in Manhattan.
The Texas Department of Transportation will work with Archer, Beta, Joby and Whisk to test regional flights connecting Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and eventually Houston. The program includes building a network of air taxis that will expand from each city to expand regional reach, DOT said.
Some projects have far-reaching geographical impacts.
For example, a Utah-led project to test next-generation aircraft and operational concepts across the Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountains, and 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 and boost regional air service 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 U.S. Gulf and energy industry hubs in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi.
Departments of transportation in Florida, Louisiana and North Carolina are also leading the project. The City of Albuquerque is working with Reliable Robotics to test autonomous driving.
Source link
