Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation, a manufacturer of vertical takeoff and landing power aircraft, will join a new Federal Aviation Administration program to speed up aircraft development and deployment, the companies said Friday.
The FAA announced Friday that it is developing a pilot program to pair private-sector EVTOL manufacturers with state and local governments to deploy aircraft. The pilot is scheduled to operate for three years after operation.
“Through safety testing of these futuristic taxis and other deployments [advanced air mobility] Vehicles, we can fundamentally improve the way traveling public and products move,” Sean Duffy, secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, said in a statement.
This move follows Executive Order President Donald Trump issued instructions in June that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) established an EVTOL program to “accelerate the deployment of safe and legal EVTOL operations in the United States.”
John said in a statement that the executive order would “ensure that mature EVTOL aircraft can start operating in certain markets before fully FAA certification is a critical step in preparing to expand commercial services.”
“We have spent 15 years building aircraft technology and operational capabilities that are defining advanced aviation mobility and we are ready to bring services to the community,” Joey Chief Policy Officer Greg Bowles said in a statement.
Several airlines have invested in the development of EVTOL in recent years, which aims to operate on electricity and take off and land vertically. For example, United Airlines has Invest in archers Delta Air Lines has Invest in Qiaomi.
Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein in a statement titled “The FAA Pilot Program”, “is a landmark moment for our industry and our country.”
“The trial is expected to focus on demonstrating that EVTOL operations are safe, quiet and scalable, which are factors that build community trust and support adoption of this new technology,” Archer said.
