Joby Aviation tested the a flight of an air taxi at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport on Sept. 10. (Cody Thorn)
The first public air taxi test in Texas debuted in Fort Worth Sept. 10 with an audience that included U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy, Sen. Ted Cruz and numerous federal, state and regional leaders.
The Texas Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration, officially launched Project Nexus at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport. The project is a pilot program for electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOLs.
The initiative will bring together federal, state and regional transportation leaders with aviation manufacturers and operators to begin testing how advanced air mobility can be safely integrated into the nation’s transportation system, according to a news release.
“For those of y'all who are old enough to remember 'The Jetsons,' I remember flying cars and we’re at the verge of seeing flying cars,” Cruz said. “We’re at the verge of air taxis and drones and transportation being transformed.”
What happened
Texas became the sixth state to launch under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Advanced Air Mobility Integration Pilot Program, or eIPP, to test air taxis and autonomous planes. According to a news release, data from the pilot project will help guide the FAA in crafting new regulations to scale this technology.
The eIPP announced in March stated eight projects were selected to span 26 states. The focus was on urban air taxi services, regional passenger transportation, cargo and logistics networks, emergency medical response operations, autonomous flight technology and offshore and energy-sector transportation.
A Joby Aviation aircraft flew a test round-trip flight from Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Sept. 5, according to a news release.
TxDOT Commissioner Steven D. Alvis said Project Nexus is the most significant transformation in American aviation in generations. He said TxDOT is working with Oklahoma, Louisiana and the Choctaw Nation as part of the project looks to connect urban centers, rural communities and neighboring states.
These initial flights will not carry passengers and are designed to collect data, validate routes and support the safe development of future advanced air mobility operations, the news release states.
Duffy said creating air safety with eVTOLs through regulations will be critical. He stressed getting them just right, while also not rushing through to create safety issues or going too slowly that it hurts businesses.
“We'll look back on this day as one of those points in history that the world changes in aviation,” Duffy said.
Joby Aviation, Archer, BETA Technologies, Wisk Aero, Bell Helicopter, Textron, Merlin Labs, Lift and Metro Aviation were among the aerospace companies at the event.
Kristen Costello, the head of government and regulatory affairs at BETA Technologies, said the company delivered 750 pounds of disaster-response containers to Washington, which included a rescue raft and medical equipment following flooding.
“Electric aviation can help you deliver critical resources when they’re needed and quickly when the roads and other transportation options are disrupted,” she said.
Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt also spoke at the event. He said when he founded the company 17 years ago—Sept. 11, 2009—it was to transform the way people moved. He pointed to a Cessna Caravan that uses the Joby autonomous stack and flew from Santa Cruz, California, to Fort Worth. From Fort Worth, it will fly to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
In August, Joby Aviation signed a lease for manufacturing and testing of air taxis at the AllianceTexas development, according to previous reporting.
Joby is one of the aviation companies that will have air taxi flights connecting Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Houston. (Cody Thorn/Community Impact)Cody Thorn/Community Impact
The company has facilities in Dayton, Ohio, and Marina, California, according to its website. Joby officials plan to craft four aircraft per month in 2027, doubling its current capacity.
Through Sept. 14, Joby announced plans for flights from Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, a flight from Fort Worth to Arlington over major infrastructure, including the Fort Worth Stockyards, and a planned operation route from Fort Worth to the Toyota Motor North America headquarters in Plano.
“This new technology that's here is really going to change our lives,” said Ross Perot Jr., the chairman of The Perot Companies and Hillwood. “Our goal is to make sure most of these new tech companies, new aviation companies are in this state. We have one of the best aviation workforces in the United States and you'll see more and more of this activity, which is very special.”
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