A new pilot program announced on Sept. 12 by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy could one day see Americans traveling short distances in unmanned aerial taxis.
The Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) has five components consisting of both piloted and unmanned aircraft, the Federal Aviation Administration said. They are Short-range air taxis; long-range fixed-wing flights; cargo services; new types of airlift methods for emergency management, medical transport, or offshore energy facilities; and enhanced safety and efficiencies in automation for advanced air mobility (AAM) operations.
The five pilot projects are expected to run for three years after the first one becomes operational, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a news release. The program will be a public-private partnership between state and local governments and private-sector industries working in conjunction to develop new methods and regulations for safe operations of drones and other types of AAM vehicles, Duffy said.
“The next great technological revolution in aviation is here,” he said.
“The United States will lead the way, and doing so will cement America’s status as a global leader in transportation innovation. By safely testing the deployment of these futuristic air taxis and other AAM vehicles, we can fundamentally improve how the traveling public and products move.”
The action follows a June 6 executive order by President Donald Trump to put America at the forefront of the nascent drone and unmanned aircraft industry, which is crucial to reshaping the future of aviation, the order stated. Emerging technologies—especially electric vertical takeoff and landing—have the potential to modernize the way cargo and passengers are transported, the order noted.
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