Electric air taxis begin test flights in Texas

A new federal program to test electric, hybrid-electric, and autonomous aircraft begins in Texas before regulations for the technology are finalized.

The Federal Aviation Administration’s Advanced Air Mobility and Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) selected eight state-led projects earlier this year for some of the first public tests of these aircraft. The first project begins today in Texas with eVTOL companies Joby, Beta, and Wisk.

Over the next week, the companies will conduct test flights demonstrating potential routes between cities and regional airports, including Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The aircraft will not carry passengers. Regulators will observe how Texas’s air traffic control system handles the increase in flight traffic.

The companies hope the flights will support their efforts to obtain type certification, which is required before they can carry passengers commercially in the United States. Type certification can take years, so the White House created the pilot program to allow technology demonstrations before the regulatory process concludes.

Data from the eIPP will support certification and help develop regulations for deploying the technology at scale. Further tests are planned in New York, Utah, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Florida, North Carolina, and New Mexico. Legal disputes and technical limits, including battery weight and sensor decisions, could affect the rollout.