Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Marks Major Milestone in Administration's Successful eVTOL Pilot Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy celebrated another major milestone in the Trump Administration's landmark Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) after Florida completed its first demonstration flights. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) conducted the flights - which are a recreation of the world's first scheduled passenger airline service in 1914 - with Joby and BETA Technologies to test cargo deliveries and routes over the Tampa Bay area. Florida is the seventh location to launch under the initiative, marking the latest milestone in the Department's work to implement President Trump's Unleashing Drone Dominance Executive Order.

"Tampa Bay helped make the dream of flying a reality 112 years ago with the first-ever passenger flight. Now thanks to President Trump, the next quantum leap in aviation is happening," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. "The future of flight is right around the corner, and the U.S. is paving the way by integrating these new aircraft into our skies safely to transform how people and products move."

"Florida is helping safely integrate these new aircraft into the airspace system and prove that the next great era of American aviation is already here," said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. "Each flight provides crucial data and lessons learned that will help establish safety standards for everyday operations."

Future Flight in Florida:

BETA's Alia CX300 electric Conventional Takeoff and Landing (eCTOL) aircraft flew from St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport to Tampa, replicating the first-ever passenger flight in 1914.

Joby conducted test flights with its S4 electric eVTOL aircraft from Albert Whitted Airport to Tampa International Airport and at the SunTrax testing facility. In November, FDOT and Electra will conduct flight tests in several locations throughout central Florida.

"This morning, history was made in Tampa Bay with Florida's first Advanced Air Mobility electric aircraft demonstration flights," said Governor Ron DeSantis. "From the first commercial airline flight over Tampa Bay in 1914, to today's AAM demonstrations along that same historic route, Florida has long been a launchpad for new ideas that shape the future of transportation. I'm proud that Florida is a place where groundbreaking transportation technologies can be developed and deployed. Thanks to strategic investments, education partnerships, and policies that promote innovation, we're ensuring that Florida continues to lead the way in aviation and aerospace."

"In Florida, we are paving the way for the future of flying cars. The work we're doing to prepare for this new mode of transportation will revolutionize the way people and goods move throughout the state," said Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared W. Perdue, P.E. "This flight series will serve as an important step forward in our efforts to take highways to the sky. With today's launch, it's clear that the future is now in Florida."

"Florida has the routes, the operators, and the infrastructure this industry needs to scale," said Kyle Clark, founder and chief executive officer of BETA Technologies. "Earlier this year, we flew high-cadence operations along the I-4 corridor with Republic Airways, up to nine legs a day, with energy costs under $17 per leg. Our ALIA aircraft was built to move people and goods faster, more reliably, and at a fraction of the cost of conventional aircraft. The eIPP lets us keep flying, gather the operational data, and prove out the case for routine commercial passenger service alongside experienced operators."

"One hundred and twelve years after Tony Jannus launched commercial aviation by flying across Tampa Bay, we're proud to return to its birthplace and demonstrate the future of commercial aviation with an electric aircraft that takes off and lands vertically," said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation. "There's no better place to demonstrate how this technology can transform everyday travel, and we're grateful to FDOT for helping make it possible. We look forward to bringing that same excitement to Orlando and the Space Coast as we continue our journey across Florida."

"We are excited to bring to Florida the same Ultra Short aircraft operations that we so recently displayed by landing on a heliport barge in downtown Manhattan," said Electra CEO Mar Allen. "The opportunity to collaborate with FAA and FDOT to likewise pilot novel operating concepts in Florida is invaluable. We are collecting the data necessary to demonstrate safe operations of Ultra Short aircraft in existing non-traditional environments, and to shape infrastructure investment for air services of the future."

FDOT and other eIPP participants are planning additional test flights throughout the rest of the year.

Additional Information:

Through the eIPP program, the USDOT has created one of the nation's largest real-world environments for testing eVTOLs, autonomous planes, and drone technology. The first-of-its-kind initiative has the potential to create jobs, connect communities, and strengthen American leadership in aviation. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) may use data from the pilot projects to develop new regulations that safely enable this futuristic technology at scale.

In March, Secretary Duffy unveiled the eIPP program to begin testing advanced air mobility vehicles and their real-world applications. The eight selected projects span 28 states and partner with leading aircraft manufacturers, operators, and state partners to test aircraft for potential future use including:

• Urban air taxi services
• Regional passenger transportation (including short Takeoff and Landing aircraft)
• Cargo and logistics networks
• Emergency medical response operations
• Autonomous flight technologies
• Offshore and energy-sector transportation

The eIPP program projects have been underway since their selection in March:

• July 10, 2026 - Pennsylvania DOT in partnership with BETA Technologies and United Therapeutics Corporation, flight-tested organ medical-transport capabilities from Virginia to Maryland.
• August 6, 2026 - Utah Department of Transportation and Ampaire Inc. conducted a hybrid-electric demonstration flight along Utah's I-15 corridor to test future cargo service. The flight took place between Salt Lake City International Airport and Cedar City Regional Airport.
• August 13, 2026 - Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in partnership with New Jersey Department of Transportation and Electra Aviation conducted hybrid-electric demonstration flights to test routes connecting small local airports to major airline hubs.
• August 27, 2026 - Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development in partnership with Elroy Air conducted a hybrid-electric demonstration flight to test cargo deliveries using remotely piloted aircraft at Houma-Terrebonne Airport in Louisiana. This was the first remotely piloted aircraft test flight under the eIPP.
• September 10, 2026 - Secretary Duffy attended the Texas Department of Transportation who partnered with BETA Technologies and Joby Aviation to test regional air taxi flights connecting Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and eventually Houston.
• September 23, 2026 - More than 120 years after the Wright Brothers took to the skies at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the North Carolina Department of Transportation in partnership with BETA Technologies and Joby Aviation tested regional flight and medical transport capabilities between small local airports and a major hub.
• October 14, 2026 - The City of Albuquerque Aviation Department and Reliable Robotics conducted demonstration flights at Albuquerque International Sunport to test cargo deliveries using Reliable' s remotely piloted Cessna 208B Caravan airplane.
  

Last year, Secretary Duffy and the FAA launched the nation's first-ever advanced air mobility (AAM) strategy to unlock the future of flight. The strategy and accompanying action plan outline 40 recommendations to safely and efficiently support AAM operations.