DOT and FAA Announce eIPP Participants

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) this week announced the eight participants selected to take part in the Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program (eIPP). Out of more than 30 proposals from across the country, the selected projects span 26 states and public-private partnerships between state and local governments and US-based electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) manufacturers and operators. The approved pilot projects include a range of applications—from urban air taxi service and cargo to emergency medical response and offshore energy-sector transportation. The projects are anticipated to be operational by June 2026.

BACKGROUND

In June 2025, the US president signed a trio of executive orders (EOs) targeting US aviation technology, including EO 14307, Unleashing American Drone Dominance, which announced the eIPP. The EO was followed by a request for proposals in September 2025, which were due in December 2025. This week’s long-anticipated announcement of pilot projects forms the basis of public-private partnerships with state and local government entities and private sector companies to develop new frameworks and regulations for enabling safe operations.

The announcement of the eIPP participants is the latest of several developments promoting and supporting advanced aviation technology. It follows a string of EOs last summer to promote unpiloted aircraft systems (UAS), advanced air mobility, and supersonic flight, as well as the recent National Aviation Authorities (NAA) Network Roadmap to harmonize AAM certification standards across the aviation authorities in the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. For more information on what to expect from the AAM sector in 2026, please see our recent update.

eIPP PARTICIPANTS, GOALS, AND TIMELINE

The eIPP is slated to run for three years after the first project becomes operational, which is scheduled to begin within 90 days (June 2026). The concepts to be tested include the following:

• Urban air taxi services (e.g., at the Manhattan heliport in New York City)
• Regional passenger transportation connecting key urban centers, such as Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston
• Cargo and logistics networks, including offshore and energy-sector transport
• Emergency medical response operations and automation
• Autonomous flight technologies and multi-state regional revitalization projects

The selected US companies and their lead partners include the following:

• Port Authority of New York and New Jersey: Partners include Archer Aviation, BETA, Joby Aviation, and Electra
• Texas Department of Transportation: Partners include Archer Aviation, BETA, Joby Aviation, and Wisk
• Utah Department of Transportation: Partners include Ampaire, BETA, Joby Aviation, and others
• Pennsylvania Department of Transportation: Partners include BETA, Electra, and others
• Louisiana (energy and offshore focus): Partners include BETA, Elroy Air, and others
• Florida Department of Transportation: Partners include Archer Aviation, BETA, Electra, Joby Aviation, and others
• North Carolina Department of Transportation: Partners include BETA, Joby Aviation, and others
• City of Albuquerque: Partnership with Reliable Robotics

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Deputy Administrator Chris Rocheleau stated that “these partnerships will help us better understand how to safely and efficiently integrate these aircraft into the National Airspace System” and that “the program will provide valuable operational experience that will inform the standards needed to enable safe Advanced Air Mobility operations.”

Through the eIPP, the DOT and FAA will work with selected participants to enable initial operations with an “acceptable level of safety” that can be tailored to the relevant aircraft, operations, and regions. Program participants will then generate real-world operational data on key metrics that the FAA will use to inform public policy, rules, and best practices, including around safety, noise, infrastructure, flight paths, and community interactions. Rather than going through the traditional FAA certification pathways, which can take years, the eIPP allows selected projects to begin supervised operations during the pilot program with a focus on real use cases. In turn, the projects will demonstrate the potential of commercial viability under FAA oversight.

LOOKING FORWARD

The FAA’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program marks a major step toward the safe and scalable integration of next-generation aircraft into the US transportation system. As the pilot projects generate operational data and regulatory insights, businesses and government partners will be better equipped to navigate the emerging legal landscape of advanced air mobility. Proactive engagement with the evolving regulatory process will be essential for stakeholders seeking to lead in this transformative sector.