AASHTO Journal - Air Taxi Demonstration Conducted at Texas Airport

The first air taxi demonstration flights in Texas were recently conducted at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport; conducted as part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Advanced Air Mobility or AAM pilot program established back in March.

[Above photo by TxDOT]

The Texas air taxi demonstration – held by the Texas Department of Transportation and aircraft firms BETA Technologies and Joby Aviation – is the first step in a larger effort to develop regional air taxi flights connecting the Texas cities of Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and eventually Houston.

“Advanced Air Mobility vehicles are the future of aviation and these demonstrations in Texas are critical to getting us there,” said Bryan Bedford, administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, in a statement. “The FAA is leveraging data from test flights in Texas and across the country to ensure these new aircraft integrate safely into the airspace.”

“We’re proud to lead the way in transportation innovation as we look to find new ways to connect the people of Texas,” added Marc Williams, TxDOT executive director, in a separate statement. “[This] is a first-of-its-kind opportunity to gather real-world data, improve safety, and build a framework for how electric aircraft could one day connect people, goods and communities across the state.”

The Texas air taxi demonstration is the result of one of eight projects selected by the USDOT in March that span 26 states and involves 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; and autonomous flight technologies, among others.

Altogether, the USDOT’s AAM initiative also brings together more than 30 public and private partners to conduct real-world eVTOL flight operations and evaluate how advanced aircraft could support cargo delivery, emergency response, wildfire response and future passenger transportation.

“[This program] is about putting these aircraft to work and learning from real operations,” said Kyle Clark, founder and CEO of BETA Technologies. “In Texas, we are working with our partners to move cargo and medical supplies, support disaster response and offshore operations, and understand what it takes to make these missions work at scale. The best way to build this industry is to get out there and fly. Programs like this are how we prove the technology, build the infrastructure around it, and make sure the U.S. continues to lead in aviation.”