![Two of Joby’s eVTOL air taxi prototypes sit on the runway at the company’s pilot production line in Marina, California. [Courtesy: Joby Aviation]](https://businessdor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/joby_Flying-Taxis-26-US-states.jpg "Electric air taxis are about to take flight in 26 states")
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved eight pilot programs that will allow several companies, including Archer Aviation, Beta Technologies, Joby Aviation, and Wisk, to begin large-scale testing of electric aircraft as early as this summer.
The three-year initiative, which will span 26 states, is intended to ensure that U.S. companies lead the development of next-generation aircraft used for personal travel, regional transportation, cargo logistics, and emergency medical services, Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in remarks on Monday.
The pilot program, called the Advanced Air Mobility and Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program, was announced last year through an executive order by President Donald Trump aimed at accelerating the development of futuristic aircraft.
In recent years, numerous electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) companies have emerged with plans to introduce urban air taxis and other regional electric aircraft. However, bringing those aircraft into commercial service requires years of development and hundreds of millions of dollars. The FAA must certify any new aircraft, a process that typically takes several years.
The pilot program will allow these companies to test their eVTOL aircraft even though they have not yet received full regulatory certification.
Such an accelerated timeline could strengthen the efforts—and potentially the share prices—of several eVTOL companies such as Archer, Beta, and Joby, which have gone public in recent years.
Beta Technologies founder and CEO Kyle Clark said that being selected for the program will allow the company to begin aircraft operations one year earlier than expected. The company’s stock price rose nearly 12% on Monday. Archer and Joby, which are also publicly traded, also experienced gains in their share prices.
Archer compared the eVTOL program to robotaxi testing and said it will help build public trust while establishing a framework for safely scaling electric air taxis. The company, which is developing a four-passenger piloted eVTOL called Midnight, said the program will also help it prepare for air taxi operations in Los Angeles ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games.
“These partnerships will help us better understand how to safely and efficiently integrate these aircraft into the National Airspace System,” FAA Deputy Administrator Chris Rocheleau said in a prepared statement. “The program will provide valuable operational experience that will inform the standards needed to enable safe Advanced Air Mobility operations. We appreciate the strong interest reflected in the many proposals we received.”
The FAA said it received 30 proposals.
These companies will not be operating independently, however. The pilot program requires participants to partner with state, local, tribal, or territorial governments.
The projects cover multiple applications for electric aircraft, including urban air taxis and regional aviation. For example, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has partnered with Archer, Beta, Electra, and Joby to test a dozen operational concepts, including one operating from a Manhattan heliport.
The Texas Department of Transportation will collaborate with Archer, Beta, Joby, and Wisk to test regional flights connecting Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and eventually Houston. The program will include building networks of air taxis expanding outward from each city to increase regional connectivity, according to the DOT.
Some projects have broader geographic implications.
For example, a project led by Utah will test next-generation aircraft and operational concepts across the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountains, and the Plains of Oklahoma. Another project, led by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, will involve 13 states with the goal of revitalizing regional flights across the country.
Other initiatives focus on cargo delivery, emergency response, and automation. Beta, Elroy Air, and others will test cargo and personnel transportation flights into the Gulf of America and to energy industry sites in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi.
Transportation departments in Florida, Louisiana, and North Carolina are also leading projects. Meanwhile, the city of Albuquerque is partnering with Reliable Robotics to test autonomous flight operations.
