Courtesy: Archer Aviation
The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday it’s launching a pilot program to speed up the rollout of air taxis.
Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation, major players in the electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, space, said they are participating in the program. Shares of each were higher on Friday.
The program will establish at least five projects through public-private partnerships with state and local governments to promote safe usage of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.
“The next great technological revolution in aviation is here,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in a release. “The United States will lead the way, and doing so will cement America’s status as a global leader in transportation innovation.”
Archer said supervised trials could begin in the U.S. as soon as next year, ahead of FAA certification. Joby is set to begin FAA flight testing early next year.
The announcement follows President Donald Trump’s executive order in June that included the creation of an eVTOL pilot program to foster safe development and deployment in the U.S.
Proponents of eVTOL’s have touted the technology as a method to slash emissions and ease traffic. Archer, Joby and their competitors have been steadily working toward FAA approval.
Joby called the program a “critical step” in the path toward widespread air taxi service in the U.S. Archer CEO Adam Goldstein dubbed the announcement a “landmark moment” that allows the company to work with partners such as United Airlines to trial aircraft.
“These early flights will help cement American leadership in advanced aviation and set the stage for scaled commercial operations in the U.S. and beyond,” he wrote.
Both companies have made strides testing their products through partnerships in the Middle East.
