- FAA has picked 8 agencies in 26 states for a new air taxi pilot program.
- Program to test eVTOLs for passenger, cargo, and logistics uses in urban areas.
- Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation are named key partners in the rollout.
- Program expected to drive new demand for vertiports and CRE development.
Pilot Program Targets eVTOL Integration
According to Bisnow, the Federal Aviation Administration has launched an air taxi pilot program to test electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (eVTOLs). The agency will work with eight partners across 26 states.
The program will study how eVTOL aircraft can safely integrate into US airspace. At the same time, it will examine how these vehicles could support urban air mobility. As a result, the initiative could also influence future commercial real estate development.
Key Agency Partners and Markets
Selected agencies include the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the City of Albuquerque. Transit agencies in Texas, North Carolina, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana will also participate.
The FAA selected these partners from a pool of 30 applicants. Together, they will test eVTOL operations on existing helipads and newly developed vertiports.
Get Smarter about what matters in CRE
Stay ahead of trends in commercial real estate with CRE Daily – the free newsletter delivering everything you need to start your day in just 5-minutes
Industry Momentum Builds
Archer Aviation, planning a network of 12 vertiports in Florida, Texas, and the NYC metro, will partner with agencies in those regions. The company’s eVTOLs seat four passengers and cut travel times between Miami and West Palm Beach to 30 minutes. Joby Aviation will support the program with scaled vehicle production from its California and Ohio sites. Meanwhile, other emerging aerial technologies, including delivery drones, are also reshaping last-mile logistics and retail supply chains in major metro areas.
Why It Matters
The FAA’s initiative follows a national push for drone and eVTOL development, responding to a 2025 White House mandate. The air taxi markets are expected to boost demand for vertiports and related real estate as urban air mobility becomes a reality in US cities this year.
